Happy girl in San Francisco

Yes, I think that I loved it more this time than I ever have..



Somehow that sounds weird because for the first time, I went alone....Go figure...



I had a wonderful and VERY SHORT visit...



I met friendly and interesting people everywhere I went...


There was the financial whiz from New York, the opera singer from San Francisco, the electrician that told me that he was a rarity, since he was born and raised in San Francisco...He proceeded to tell me just how it had all changed...There was the couple vacationing from Texas, and a woman who does the registration at the hotel, an artist, who called me her "sister", who wanted to know my website address to read some of my poems...There was the guy at the corner that was waiting for a bus while I was waiting for a taxi, and we struck up a conversation after witnessing a horrendous scene involving two probable schizophrenics on the other side of the street..After viewing this outburst he commented " I HATE this city...This is the SECOND worst city in the world!!!"...I asked "What's the first", and he said "Tucson, Arizona!" Suppose that I will never visit there, as this guy seemed pretty passionate about his opinion...I won't test it...Just won't visit there...



Saw a wonderful attraction at the Modern Art Museum...The very best of Richard Avedon's collection...If you are not familiar with the photographer Richard Avedon, you would be familiar with some of his work, as it has been seen here and there for many, many years...Although he was known for photographing famous people and cult classics, I especially liked his photos of the "common" people...the everyday set...His artistry captured amazing thoughts, feelings, lifestyles, etc, without a word...just a photo....I adored this show...


I bought a new bracelet there...The new lucite that has the silver behind it so that it "shines".. Beautiful...Art museums always have the most wonderful jewelry...My favorite pieces over the years have all come from different art museums and galleries...


I also bought a coin or makeup purse made out of silver beer or coke can tabs strewn together with thick blue thread...Very cool, though sounds weird...Very futuristic looking....


Bought some other goodies as well, including my sister's birthday present for September....At first I thought that I simply could not part with it, but then my "other voice" told me that I should give it away and practice less selfishness...Hmmm...hate that "other voice"...


She will love it...A splendid reproduction...Beautiful....Don't think that she reads my blog, but just in case, will not say exactly what it is....


The hotel was beyond my expectations...I got upgraded on arrival though I am still not sure why...Asked for their biggest deluxe and a corner room, and stepped into my room only to see a place that was almost as big as my apartment...The closet itself was almost as big as my bedroom! Two chandeliers! Fantastic room...History surrounded me...Amazing photos from the turn of the century all down the hallways, which were curiously about 3 or 4 times wider than any hallways that I have ever seen....(Speaking of photos, I had not even been to my room yet, when I saw the very photo that Stanley Kubrick used in the last scene of "The Shining", the one that has Jack Nicholson's face superimposed on it...with all the gentlemen in the grand dining room...that was from the St. Francis....I had to call and tell my son that....He freaked...) I could certainly feel the many spirits that resided there from the past....It really added to the entire atmosphere...I truly loved my stay at the St. Francis...



The lobby was filled with antiques, chandeliers, huge vases, rugs, all from the grandeur of the past...


The "Clock Bar" in the lobby, new, with outrageously wonderful cocktails and warm and friendly bartenders...



Restaurants...A trip to the "Tadich Grill," a favorite of mine, was a disappointment...The fish suffered from lack of crispiness and the sourdough tasted more like rye...The infamous tartar sauce suffered from an overly added amount of dill (so easy to do when using dill)....

I cannot complain about the dining experience though...That is where I had two very interesting conversations with two very nice and intriguing people...(the wall street guy and the opera guy)

When you are by yourself, they won't give you a table...you must eat at the bar...In this restaurant it is THE PLACE to sit and eat anyway, it's just that in my travels, I have NEVER been refused a table for one...Only at the Tadich...a place KNOWN for their attitude...Kind of goes with the place...I said..."Hey isn't that discrimination...against the law?" and they said "Probably"...Can't help but love the place though...Oldest restaurant in San Francisco...Talk about atmosphere...


"The Slanted Door" was also slightly disappointing, although maybe my expectation were a bit high...This has been one of the most highly touted restaurants for the last few years in San Francisco...The restaurant itself was very cool..Beautifully modernistic Asian approach...Gorgeous lighting...Packed with beautiful people...all quite impressed to be there...Great drinks (they use a pick to break their own ice)...Great app...rice dumplings that were extremely unique in texture and taste...Ordered their "signature dish", shakin beef, think that is what it is called, and it was good, but not GREAT....Expensive, of course...Dessert was a small slice of butter pecan homemade pound cake, with a bit of homemade gelato and drunkin cherries scattered about...The pound cake was sublime and so was the gelato...I could have inhaled the cherries, but...umm...another time...another place perhaps....




The Swan Oyster Depot...an infamous, small, unpretentious and dark little raw bar near Nob Hill. Here one can sit on wobbly barstools and feast on fresh crab and shrimp cocktails ( you make your own sauce) along with sourdough and have a beer if you care to... You are joined by a lot of characters...That adds to the place....


I met and enjoyed my conversation with folks there that come in everyday, and have for years...The staff is really tight, like family...When I got home, I saw them pictured in my one of my travel magazines...Great crew...Incredible seafood....


"Boulevard"...a very impressive popular restaurant in San Francisco...Gorgeous decor...tons and tons of beautiful people (I could REALLY do without this but it comes with the territory, besides, I live in Dallas and it's par for the course here...)

The food was not only excellent, but almost too pretty to eat..

Starting with a composed and artistic salad that was sprinkled with shaved truffles, followed by
a silken tenderloin that could have almost been cut with a fork, and a dessert of a very small but delicious double chocolate pudding tart topped with a toasted homemade marshmallow, that was drizzled with chocolate sauce, and sprinkled with chocolate "curls"....Yummy meal...


Think that I was the only single diner there...Bothered by that? No....As I travel more by myself, I really do enjoy the positive aspects of travelling alone, and I have found that there are many...


I walked the entire length of the wharf, enjoying the sights of the performers, the sounds of the musicians, and the smells that surrounded me...I loved the sound of the waves...the sea animals...the site of happy people all around me....


The weather was beyond perfect...At home it raged in the 100s'...Here it was typically in the upper 60s'...wearing a light sweater was a dream come true....I have decided that it is the weather that causes those in San Francisco to be in perpetual good moods, and it is the weather in Dallas that causes many to stay in a bad one...(especially those behind the wheel of a car...don't get me started)


I got home and made plans immediately to return in August...


September everything goes up price wise...


I couldn't help myself and won't...


Getting ready for more overtime at work starting tomorrow, it makes it all worth it to be able to think about spending my days off there again in just a few weeks...


Such a glorious place...

Lose your heart there, so that you can return again and again to reclaim it!

Yes, a girl like me, with a job like mine, needs a few days away on a fairly frequent basis...I have been working a lot of overtime, and continue to, so I am rewarding myself with a very few days in San Francisco soon.

I cannot take vacation until November, so I shall work three nights, get off and grab a plane, fly to San Fransisco, hopefully arrive there awake, and then return three days later....Sounds like a plan to me...Got THE best deal of Expedia! Never used anything like that before...(always makes one a bit nervous, you know...)

I will stay at the famed Hotel St. Francis, the one that was almost destroyed in the 1906 Great Earthquake that caused the Great Fire which practically destroyed the city.

"Guests in the major hotels, such as the Palace Hotel which was constructed on sand dunes, reported violent shaking of the interior of the building. In the Hotel St. Francis, the tallest fully-occupied building in San Francisco, guests reported rolling, falling down stairs, and being thrown from wall-to-wall by the 1906 shock. As these people left the hotels, some wandered into the wrecked "South-of-Market" area, where the most damage to buildings and the most deaths occurred."

It's been a long time since that event...It is now owned by the Westin hotel chain, but still retains it's opulent lobby, staircase, and other relics....There is also a brand new Tower with contemporary rooms, that in some ways actually look nicer than the original ones in the Main bldg, but I have chosen a classic room in the Main bldg, because anywhere there is a chandelier in a room and an "Oak Bar" in the lobby, has my name on it! http://westinstfrancis.com/

My memories of San Francisco are wonderful, as I have been there several times, but not in about 5 years. I have done Alcatraz (at night! woooooo), Sausalito several times, the Exploratorium, the Haight, Chinatown, the Piers, Ghiradelli Square, and on and on...The food there is legendary, and you almost can't go wrong anywhere, but since time is of the essence on this excursion, I have chosen to spend my first day at the Modern Museum, my favorite Modern Art museum, and the art galleries and cute shops around Union Square. The next day will be reserved for The Pier, where I can walk along to the sounds and sites of the otters and seagulls, while I hear the splashing of the waves, and admire those on their beautiful sailboats...One extremely interesting site, if you are up early on the Wharf, is the "club" of swimmers, young and old, that dive into those extremely cold waters for marathon swimming every single morning...Most people would collapse in water of that temperature, but these folks have had a lot of practice! I cannot forget to stop by the infamous City Lights Bookstore where one can

still feel Jack Kerouac's presence. http://citylightsbookstore.com/

Of course I had to plan at least my two dinners, because without a reservation in San Francisco, you can forget it....

I chose to go new places, which is hard, since I have my favorites, but one MUST EXPAND their culinary knowledge/taste, so I chose the infamous "Boulevard" http://www.boulevard.com/ and the Slanted Door, http://www.theslanteddoor.com/ ....

I may try to sneak a very early lunch in at my favorite place, and just grab a bowl of bouillabaisse at http://www.tadichgrill.com/ , the oldest restaurant in San Francisco with "crusty" waiters that just add to the whole experience, in my opinion.....

Speaking of "crusty" is there ANYTHING better than the Sourdough Bread in San Francisco? Not on this earth, there's not.

Of course, I will write a review of my excursion when I return...In the meantime, I must work, work, and work.....

Last poem for Kerin

I was surprised a couple of week ago, when I arrived in a room at the hospital, to take care of

my "new patient" that had just arrived.

It was Kerin, the patient that I had taken care of at the previous hospital where I worked, the young woman with the very, very severe head injury, who I called "Cat woman" and wrote a previous poem about, here on my blog...It was written on 4/19 and was entitled, "Nowhere"

It affected me to see her, take care of her again, as she was so very much more unresponsive, and looked so much worse...I will not elaborate, because it is too much, believe me...

I think that this poem has somewhat helped me to put her to rest...

Some of it just takes a bit of time...Nothing that I have not had to deal with before...

Once Again, For Kerin

9/19/09


she came once
again

but didn't stay
long

she scared me
this time

her head

just so
wrong

how much
are you
going to
take from
this girl

whose left
all she's known
and is far
from this world?

why can't you
just stop and
leave her alone

allow her to
pass from this
world on her
own

I searched
too deeply
inside of
her tomb

The darkness
so frightening
the silence,
the doom

All dignity
lost
and the
whiteness
of light

the sound
of machines
from morning
to night

I gazed at the
photos

her cats....
there were three

She loved them
they've lost her

they wander
and grieve

I called her
"Cat woman"

her eyes
stuggled
so

just where
had I
come from?

but she
didn't
know

it's something
that I
simply
can't
understand

just why
are they
living?

My anger
demands!

it's horrid,
and tragic,
just how did
she rate,
this seemingly
lifeless and
nightmarish
state?

why can't she
just rest
like we all
hope to
do

when life
and its
struggles
are finally
through?

Quick but needed update to my faithful followers

Like the new avitar? I do...

It's about as realistic as the last one...
Neither of them look anything like me, though I absolutely FEEL like both of them, as somewhere inside, thoses photos are lurking...

They are certainly who I represent on the INSIDE...
I do not take good photos...Some people do, I am just not one of them...
I am ALWAYS better looking in person, as most will attest...
Even in keeping with that fact, I do not have a recent photo to put there, or I probably would...
I don't as of yet, (soon to change) have a computer situation that has photos on it, so I simply must use other photos at this time...
Honestly, though I look nothing like this woman or the last, I'm told that I don't hurt the eyes terribly, I promise...
I wanted to post a quick entry, to my faithful followers, to let you know that things at work are better, and that yes, it looks as though I am going to survive...
It has been one helluva hard course, and still has its bumps in the road, but after this last weekend, it appears as though some of my "we don't like you" co-
hearts have loosened their bogus first impressions, and actually appear as though "maybe we do like you..."
Just wanted all of you to know, who have suffered along with me in this horrendous new path, that it appears as though things will work out in the end...
I am happier now and hopeful, and I just wanted all of you to know....
LATER....NICOLE...

EARLY IN THE WEE HOURS..AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DREAMS...

Yes, one can feel quite alone when it is 4am in the morning, and it's not as though you don't WANT to go to sleep.

You SO would love that.
You SO would have loved that hours ago...

But you are a person that quickly learns survival techniques when needed...

If you want to work nights and make the big bucks, you gotta stay up the night
before you begin your stretch, to make sure that you sleep before you work the
next night..
The following days to sleep take care of themselves...

Simple..

Or you would think so, yet honestly, it appears as though many do not adhere to that simple technique, hence the incredible number of night shift employees literally falling over in an almost unconscious state...

I have actually heard slight snoring, thinking that it was one of the many patients,
only to turn around and see the head nurse in a slightly catatonic state...

This is simply not going to be me...I would rather suffer the night before, and
stay awake during my shift...

I have never been a "public" sleeper...
Kind of a private thing for me...
Any extremely vulnerable state is and this is no exception...

Drooling is just not attractive, unless controlled, (i.e. my avatar of red lips
with a slight drip of drool...that's artistic...if not downright fabulous..)

As far as an uncontrolled amount of drooling, I will avoid it as long as any self respecting woman can!
(Hence the difficulty in TRULY getting any serious sleep on a plane...)

So, here I am writing a new entry at a peculiar time...

Lucky for you, I am going to post three really great recipes...
You're gonna love em...trust me....

Why?

Well they're all three what I like to call "summer friendly" ones...

Two of them are cool and tasty beverages....

What's not to love about that during these sweltering times? (and it's just beginning !)

For those of you that don't have 100 plus degree weather for months on end, then
as we like to say in these here parts....
Bless yer little hearts! (this is Texas slang for you know what...)

I digress...
Back to the beverages....

One of them has alcohol, or as we say in the hospital biz...ETOH
Gotta love that for brunch...
You know you do!

(I used to as well, but do try to stay away from it these days, unless a large
nap is on the menu after brunch)
Something about a cocktail or two at 1PM...Not the same effect as an evening one..

Well, honestly, I find a great Bloody Mary hard to pass up...
Where I live, great and spicy Bloody Marys are the standard at a lot of places...

I still contend though, that the VERY BEST SPICY Bloody Mary (my favorite) can
be found in Manhattan...

Yep, Manhattan in the Flatiron District at Bobby Flay's restaurant, Mesa Grill...
Try not to miss a Brunch opportunity there when I am visiting...

Always a toss up...Norma's or Mesa? Two favorites...

Now I also love a place that my family likes to brunch that has a "Bloody Mary
Bar"...

Very nice, all set up with the "fixins" and after you get your vodka and
ice from the waiter, you go to the "Bar" to make your own version with a large variety of great ingredients...

I KNOW that it is why we love this place for brunch, though the small jazz band
and the food IS delicious as well...

I will also post a beverage that is non alcoholic and wonderful..
Peach Iced Tea...the very name screams SUMMER

Finally a very refreshing Pasta Salad with Grilled Chicken, Arugula Pesto, Feta
Cheese, olives, and seasonal red, yellow, and any color grape tomatoes...
We have Emeril to thank for this one...

These recipes work well for a light brunch/lunch.
Round it out with some great crispy rolls and maybe a light fruit dessert...You decide...

I'm thinking Key Lime Pie, but then again, I've been on that same note lately,
so do take that into consideration...

SOUTHWESTERN BLOODY MARY (VERY SPICY)

6 SERVINGS

3 CUPS CANNED VEGETABLE JUICE
2 TABLESPOONS FRESH LEMON JUICE
1 TABLESPOON MINCED FRESH CILANTRO
1 TABLESPOON WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE
1 TEASPOON FINELY MINCED SEEDED CANNED CHIPOTLE CHILIES
1 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN
1 TEASPOON SUGAR
2/3 CUP CHILLED GOOD QUALITY VODKA (LIKE GREY GOOSE OR CHOPIN OR BELVEDERE)

ICE CUBES
6 CELERY STALKS WITH LEAFY TOPS
6 FRESH RED CHILIES

MIX FIRST 7 INGREDIENTS IN PITCHER.
CHILL MIXTURE UNTIL COLD, AT LEAST 2 HOURS OR OVERNIGHT (BEST)

MIX IN VODKA

FILL 6 TALL GLASSES WITH ICE.
POUR BLOODY MARY MIXTURE OVER.

GARNISH WITH CELERY AND CHILIES





PEACH ICED TEA

3 ORANGE PEKOE TEA BAGS
4 CUPS COLD WATER
5 (5 OUNCE) CANS PEACH NECTAR (ABOUT 3 1/3 CUPS), CHILLED
1/4 CUP CHILLED SIMPLE SYRUP OR TO TASTE

SIMPLE SYRUP
1 1/3 CUPS SUGAR
1 1/4 CUPS WATER

PEACH SLICES AND BASIL SPRIGS FOR GARNISH

PLACE TEA BAGS IN A QUART SIZE GLASS MEASURE OR HEATPROOF BOWL.

IN A SAUCEPAN BRING WATER JUST TO A BOIL AND POUR OVER TEA BAGS. STEEP TEA 5
MINUTES AND STRAIN THROUGH A SIEVE INTO A HEATPROOF PITCHER. COOL TEA AND CHILL, COVERED, UNTIL COLD, ABOUT 1 HOUR.

STIR IN NECTAR AND SYRUP. SERVE TEA OVER ICE IN TALL GLASSES AND GARNISH WITH
PEACH SLICES AND BASIL SPRIGS.

TO MAKE SIMPLE SYRUP:
IN A SAUCEPAN BRING SUGAR AND WATER TO A BOIL, STIRRING, AND BOIL UNTIL SUGAR
IS COMPLETELY DISSOLVED. LET SYRUP COOL AND CHILL, COVERED. SYRUP MAY BE MADE 2 WEEKS AHEAD AND CHILLED, COVERED.

YIELD: MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
CAN DOUBLE OR TRIPLE



PASTA SALAD WITH ARUGULA PESTO, GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS, AND FETA

1 LB. BONELESS, SKINLESS, CHICKEN BREASTS
OLIVE OIL
SALT
PEPPER
EMERIL'S "ESSENCE" SEASONING
1 BUNCH FRESH ARUGULA, TOUGH STEMS REMOVED, WASHED AND SPUN DRY, PLUS BABY ARUGULA, FOR GARNISH
1/2 CUP PACKED FRESH PARSLEY LEAVES
1/2 CUPS LIGHTLY TOASTED WALNUTS
2 TEASPOONS MINCED GARLIC
1/2 CUP GRATED PARMESAN
1 TEASPOON FRESH LEMON JUICE
1/2 TEASPOON SALT
1/4 TEASPOON GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1/4 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/4 TO 1/2 CUP OLIVE OIL
1 LB. PENNE PASTA
1 PINT RED GRAPE TOMATOES, HALVED
1 PINT YELLOW GRAPE TOMATOES, HALVED
1 1/4 CUPS CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE (BEST TO USE GOOD QUALITY)
1/2 CUP ROUGHLY CHOPPED PITTED OLIVE-CURED OLIVES

PREHEAT A GRILL. DRIZZLE THE CHICKEN WITH OIL AND SEASON WITH SALT, PEPPER, AND ESSENCE. PLACE ON THE GRILL AND COOK UNTIL COOKED THROUGH, ABOUT 4 MINUTES
ON THE FIRST SIDE, AND 5 MINUTES ON THE SECOND SIDE.
REMOVE THE CHICKEN FROM THE GRILL AND CUT INTO CUBES.

IN A FOOD PROCESSOR, COMBINE THE ARUGULA, PARSLEY, WALNUTS, GARLIC, CHEESE, LEMON JUICE, SALT, AND PEPPER, AND PROCESS ON HIGH SPEED UNTIL THE GREENS ARE FINELY CHOPPED. WITH THE MACHINE RUNNING, ADD THE EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL AND 1/4 CUP OF
THE OLIVE OIL IN A STEADY STREAM AND PROCESS UNTIL SMOOTH.

BRING A LARGE POT OF SALTED WATER TO A BOIL. ADD THE PASTA AND COOK UNTIL AL DENTE.
DRAIN THE PASTA AND SHOCK IN AN ICE BATH AND PLACE IN A BOWL. TOSS WITH SOME OLIVE
OIL SO IT DOESN'T STICK.

TOSS THE PASTA WITH THE ARUGULA PESTO TO TASTE. LET COOL WITH PLASTIC WRAP, AND REFRIGERATE UNTIL WELL CHILLED. TOSS THE CUBED CHICKEN, RED AND YELLOW TOMATOES, FETA, AND OLIVES TO THE PASTA, AND TOSS TO COMBINE. ADJUST THE SEASONING TO TASTE, AND SERVE GARNISHED WITH BABY ARUGULA.

SERVES 4-6 MAINS

NEW RECIPE, BREAKFAST, ELOISE, AND A PASSION FOR ROOM SERVICE

I am absolutely NOT a breakfast person, nor have I ever been.

Now by that, I mean that I do not like to eat directly upon rising.

My stomach must wake up first. This takes at least a couple of hours.
There are three times when I DO love to eat breakfast, though.

1. For Dinner
2. For Brunch (late)
3. Room Service in a fabulous hotel

Ah, Room Service...gives me the chills just to mention it..

I adore Room Service, especially for Dinner.

It's terribly decadent to chilax in a beautifully decorated hotel room, order a
must-see movie on the tube, put on a plush hotel provided bathrobe, and order Room service....

Room Service Dinner with a very Dry Martini...Nirvana


Then there is Breakfast Room Service.

I do less of this, but have been known to do it, as it gives me time to get ready for whatever I am doing for the day.
Breakfast brought on a gorgeous cart...
Perfect start to the day!

I ALWAYS order the same, but very much adored Breakfast....

I LOVE a fruit, granola, and yogurt parfait...Almost every Hotel that I have stayed
in, has a version of this.

It's pretty, light, and satisfying, and you almost feel as though you are having dessert for Breakfast...

With the addition of two beautiful silver pots containing hot freshly made coffee and another with cold water,
a fresh flower in a small vase,
sometimes the addition of a homemade muffin,
real silver flatware and cloth napkins...
Hmmm...and all I have to do is sign?

I love that they want to pour your first cup...

I am, and always will be,
A "LUX HOTEL DIVA"

There is no denying it,
or any end to it.

When making plans for a trip, the Food and the Hotel are MAJOR COMPONENTS...

(A big apology to my family, who don't claim to know where I came from, as I
was not raised to be who I am today.)

One must realise that "Eloise" was my favorite childhood book.
When I first visited "The Plaza Hotel" in New York, I felt like I was home!
"Eloise" was everywhere!

My first little friend!

www.eloisewebsite.com

I dreamed of living at "The Plaza" just like Eloise.
Eloise first introduced me to Room Service and Lux Hotels.

It's all Eloise's fault...

Why they even have "Eloise Weekend Packages" at the Plaza...

Completely outrageous, of course...


Question...

Have you ever had dessert for Breakfast?

Oh C'mon now, let's get real...

I can't be the only one...

I remember that on a talk show one time, Sylvester Stallone, who is big on keeping
his body healthy and very much in shape, mentioned that if you ARE going to eat dessert, that you should always consider eating it in the morning, so that you can burn it off the rest of the day.

I have never been a huge believer in the "don't ever eat after a certain time" etc, because I have a friend that is a Dietitian who promises that your body does not know what time it is, and that the calories one takes in and burns has nothing to do with the actual time of the day...(This is somewhat nice to think about working night shift!)

I HAVE certainly, in my time, had dessert for breakfast..

That last piece of Limeade Pie? (Yes, I CAN plug my recipes on my own website! See previous post "Renaissance Women Post a Poem and a Pie", (great picture, poem not
too shabby either...)

You Shameless Wench!

Back to dessert for Breakfast....

How bout a quickly heated up piece of last night's Apple Pie?

I also have had a couple of homemade cookies with coffee, and sometimes if available, a piece of cake...

I like savory breakfasts, but more so for dinner or brunch (late)

Ever had a really great cinnamon roll for breakfast? YUM!

Now, none of these are very healthy, grant you, (save the parfait.)

I am now going to post a recipe for an addition to your other "go to" Breakfast recipes/traditions.

I think that it solves the dilemma of trying to have something healthy (yogurt, granola, fresh fruit, nuts), and having your Breakfast sweet as well.

This one comes from Caprial and John's kitchen, those wonderful chefs in Oregon..

BREAKFAST FRUIT CRISP

SERVES 12

TOPPING:

1 cup flour
1 cup granola
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans
1/4 cup coconut (could delete if you don't like...SHAME ON YOU!..See "Coconut Cravings")
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter

FILLING:
2 pints raspberries or blackberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 cup sugar
Pinch ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Garnish:
2 cups vanilla yogurt
Fresh mint

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the topping place flour, granola, nuts, coconut, vanilla and brown sugar in a medium-sized bowl and mix well. Add the butter and mix with your finger tips until
the mixture resembles a coarse dough. Set aside.

For the filling, place berries, sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and vanilla in a large bowl and toss to mix. Place in a 9x11 inch baking dish. Crumble topping over berry mixture.

Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

To serve, place the warm crisp on plates and top with yogurt and mint...

YUM!

MISERY LOVES POETRY

Last night I went to dinner with some old friends.
We meet on average about 5-6 times/year to catch up with each others lives.
It is almost always enjoyable, as dining with old friends tends to be.

I woke up yesterday from one of my MANY daytime naps,
(working nights screws up your sleeping system completely),
and realized that I would rather get another flu shot then go to dinner.

The inevitable, "how is your new job?"; "how are things with you?" questions were just not something that I felt like dealing with.

If I could have just answered "THEY SUCK!", and be done with it, I could have handled it.

Unfortunately people always must know the details...

I'm upset about the "details"...
I'm trying to get away from the "details"...
The "details" are making me miserable...

No, it's not the patients, even though at times they can get to be a bit "much" (refer to previous post...)

In a "Cliff Notes" version of my new job...

It is sort of like a milder though still potent version of "Lord of the Flies"

Remember that book?

Thematically it basically hones in on the "world" that one lives in, being run by a bunch of hoodlums, and no one is around to monitor their actions, etc.

Unfortunately it is like one big maniacal dysfunctional family that does NOT want new members...

One finds that out pretty quickly...
They cannot wait to let you know that you are "NOT LIKED"...
That pretty much sums up the new job...

Why, I have even gotten used to some of the nurses, who as I previously mentioned, would be a "shoo-in" in the Salem "Zombie Parade" next Halloween...with a little makeup job, who knows?
With very little coaching, these women could drop right into juicy roles in "Dawn
of the Dead Part 12"...

Well, unfortunately, I NEED this job...
If you have never HAD to stay at a job where you are quite unhappy, you cannot imagine what it feels like...

Almost like what I imagine an unwilling prostitute must feel like...

You have to be careful not to completely lose your humility...your spirit...the very eccense of who you are...

Frankly, this is all a bit too much for me at this time of my life...

Thank heavens that there are books...dreams...
Sometimes they are the only things that can get you through these difficult periods
in life...
So...
Favorite books as of late...

A THREE DOG LIFE by Abigail Thomas

NOT BECOMING MY MOTHER (and other things she taught me along the way)
by Ruth Reichl

JULIE AND JULIA by Julie Powell (reread because the movie is coming out, with a screenplay by Nora Ephron, starring Meryl Streep as a young Julia Childs)

SAVAGE BEAUTY (reread because I love it) by Nancy Milford about the life of
Edna St.Vincent Millay

And my newest favorite...didn't want this one to end!
I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI
by Giulia Melucci

Now for the dreaming part...it's not really dreaming...I just have not decided...
though "dreaming" about it always makes me feel better...

In the Fall I will go somewhere that makes me feel happy...

I just got through telling my older son that one should be "happy" wherever they
are..as happiness is INSIDE!
Well rehearsed parental BS...

Anyway...

I may go back to Boston perhaps, or very possibly, Montreal and Old Quebec City...
Am researching it now...MUST get passport

Don't get to take a very long vacation until Fall...
Until then, can only take 3 day off...

Plenty of time to fly to San Francisco, or visit my friend in Colorado

ANYTHING!!!!!

MUST ESCAPE WHENEVER POSSIBLE!!!!

Sorry this was not a more "cheerful" little passage....

Must revert to telling you stories of interest from the past until the present
is a prettier picture...

And now for the poetic side of me....




A POEM FOR THE PITIFUL
(or how to write something completely childish and feel much better afterwards...)


So you say
they don't like me.
Well, it's not
hard to see
that hurting
one's feelings
comes easily
to thee

Wish I could
tell you
"just go
get in line"
with all of
the rest of
the ignorant
swine.

But finding
a job
is too hard
to repeat.
I guess I'll
stay here
amongst
big smelly feet

I'll listen
to banter
so childish
and vain,
then come back
tomorrow
for more
of the same.

I vow
to be silent.
Don't have
much to share,
with those
who are rude
and are
missing
some
hair

Okay,
so it's not nice
to call you all
"swine"
With hair that is
thinning,
and smelly feet...
Fine!

A "Tet for a Tat"
Isn't that
how it goes?
One MUST not forget
to make
fun
of your
nose...

Is that one
a fake?
Oh c'mon
say it's so.
Tis a pity
the face
that must
wear it,
ya know..

Ah,
NOW I FEEL BETTER!
Why didn't I see
that poetry works
in such
strange ways
for me?....

Much better
than fighting
and stronger
than wine.
Don't care
if it's silly...
For laughter's
DIVINE!!!!