Lines Drawn in Starlight

 1. I went to the University District Farmers Market today. It's small than I remembered, and in the street now instead of that lot. (It's been a long time.) Our Capitol Hill one has more vendors. I coveted the bread at Tall Grass Bakery (mmm, bread). Tiny's Organic had last year's fruit... in jars, as preserves! They taste like fruit, not sugar bomb. They include the skins. I got Aprium (apricot plum hybrid) and Nectarine (Arctic Blast & Arctic Blaze blend). My mouth waters, just thinking of our next breakfast-for-dinner.
There was a honey vendor with something called "bakery honey." It turns out, that's their name for honey dregs, the honey pulled off when cleaning up the wax. It probably has pupa bits, royal jelly, and maybe some dead bees in it, all filtered clear. A blend of blackberry, wildflower, and whatever other they had, it has a fuller flavor and glorious color. I can't wait to eat it!

2. L and I had an early cherry blossom viewing picnic. The trees on UW Campus are not in full bloom yet. I didn't realize that they were white ones. The pink ones around town are going boom.

3. My BFF will be in town in a mere 16 days! I need to draft an itinerary, but I want it to include the Museum of History and Industry, the whiskey bar in Pike Place Market, Sun Liquor, Sake Nomi, Intrigue Chocolate, Pirosky on 3rd (conveniently close to the Arctic Hotel, where she'll be staying), and Vostok Dumpling House. I would have liked to include the Polish Home for their pierogies, but she won't be around on the days they are serving.

There are two ways I could go with that subject line. Door Number One!

Trophy Cupcakes does, in fact, trump Cupcake Royale. They would win for store decor alone. In store, divinityof_fire selected the triple chocolate (three times the chocolate intensity that already has me staggering) while I was safer with the vanilla cream & chocolate cake combo. A red velvet cake and a hummingbird (banana cake/cream cheese frosting/sprinkles!) went on a journey to Kendaer's kitchen. While badly beaten up by arrival -- largely due to L running back, almost missing her bus, to hand them to distracted me heading the other way -- the tasty remained intact. *Nom*

Billy Joel at the Key Arena: tickets all gone (except some crummy ones).

A few months ago I signed up for Massage Envy. For a reasonable monthly fee I get an hour-long massage each month. Unused ones roll over into the next month, and additional ones are at a reduced rate. I've been going to the Mill Creek location, and have been satisfied with the quality of the massage and the cleanliness & comfort of the salon. I have one today, same time as my dude is getting his. We're not together during the session, but it still feels like a together-ish thing to do. ::smile::

I'm so looking forward to dinner tonight! There will be people I haven't seen in, literally, months.

I forgot until this morning, so I didn't put together a pie and/or steak dinner thing. Happy White Day, too. I didn't give out any chocolate last month, so no one owes me anything. But divinityof_fire did pick up some Joseph Schmidt truffles for us to eat. Well, supposedly us, but I know it's selfish giving. ^_^

Since I've been browsing around for a new username and finding many ideas already in use (not iammyowndamncat, but you'd all hate me for that one, wouldn't you), it has been intregueing to see what kind of person owns them. unfinishedpoem is a guy! I also liked bycandlelight, though I expected that one to be taken.

Unless some unexpected conflicts come up, I'll be doing a costume party (to celebrate moi! as Miss Piggy would say) on April 14th, Saturday evening. Details to follow. L cringed when I said "a bunch of people", but it's my birthday, dammit.

Yesterday, I went out to Bellevue, to do a little shopping, eat Mora, and see a show.

While called a ballet, Dracula, a love story uses many more dancing styles than classic ballet. The best sequence, the graveyard extravaganza, had a ghoul/warlock doing an Irish jig centerstage. It was the AWESOME.

The show is pretty simple in terms of costume and lighting, and the music is recorded. The dancing, however, is enthusiastic. The dance style is paired to the character. Lucy goes from being on point (Briley Neugebauer is beautifully tall and slim, no surprise that she has been the lead in Les Sylphides) to dancing barefoot.

Dracula himself doesn't show his face or actually dance. Rather, the story is as if being told by him, so the telling isn't Stoker. Too bad, because (with a different Dracula) I would have loved to see either a solo, or a pas de deux with Mina that mirrored or contrasted the one with Johnathan. This production was a bit more comical than romantic. It seemed to go over well with the audience, who at this matinee was made up largely of costumed children. ^_^ The little girl who won the costume contest had a hoop skirt, real ringlets, and a very serious expression.

As if to make up for this past week, the buses all lined up: no running to catch them, very little waiting between transfers. We took the posh Sound Transit 560 out; on the way back, we were both reading volumes of Death Note and time/distance flew by. We headed to Mission in the Admiral District, where we ate dessert and I proceeded to get tipsified.

I'm thinking of Crafternooning this Sunday, with a sleep-over from Saturday for some of the kittens who wanna. Detail update later when I get home. How many of you are interested?

I need to buy myself a present that would be delivered. We got a UPS package today and I realized that it has been too long since I've gotten anything. What should I get?

llynecat smartly suggested Shalimar for a quick dinner before the "Stardust and Rare Earth" lecture last night. The butter chicken, chicken tika, and the spiced potato appetizer that we had were all tasty. I also ordered a spiced Darjeeling tea; it had the same failing that I have found in all the chai and chai-like drinks that I have had in restaurants. I am fairly certain that more coffee drinkers would be tea drinkers as well if the tea wasn't so often weakly brewed. I recommend Shalimar if you are in the U District (and if you have this year's Entertainment Book you can get 2-for-1 on dinner entrees) though I prefer the biryani at India Bistro, and Flavor of India overall -- particularly for prices & portions.

The lecture was an overview, not very technical and also not too in-depth. The speaker was lively and enthusiastic. His love of his field was obvious, and you know I love to see that. He has a pocket sized rant about how everyone should know what an isotope is. I agree that it's not a difficult concept. I think the problem with science's reputation is that that science, like Shakespeare, is thought by the general populace to be the purview of smart people.

We arrived only a few minutes late due to finding our way. L won a free book of award winning science articles. (And now she is mildly anxious about gravity leakage.) Introductions were made between bdkellmer (don't forget about that shrimp recipe!) and llynecat & samildanach, so once again, the world grows smaller through LJ. If thewronghands or spider88 were in attendance, we didn't know who they were, though I was looking for clues.

As cool as comets are (and they are), I am now facinated by aerogel. Dude. It has the same density of air but is essentially glass. This was the medium used to capture the comets and transport them to Earth. I wish the speaker had brought some actual aerogel with him. Like a little kid, I'm more interested in the bubble wrap than the Ming vase. (Metaphorically speaking. In actuality, I am equally interested in both Ming vases and bubble wrap.)

Just kidding.

I watched grown men pound rice into chewiness today. Islandwood is a pretty place.

A Tuesday (most likely, because I want Manya to join us) invitation to dinner at Flavor of India in Pioneer Square will be forthcoming. We had lunch there and were pleased. Yay for hot naan! Everything's nice but the women's lavs, which are unfortunately shared with the BBQ place next door.

This Tuesday I'm going to be heading to Conor Byrne Pub (in Ballard) to hear some sirens sing. I'm wondering whether I should go home for the short time between. Anyone want to meet me after work for eats? If I go home, I'll be tempted to take Flexcar back, which means I won't get to drink, but I will get to stay for the whole show.

Short post -- I have both an tickling plot bunny and a Christopher Fowler book to read.

I believe in sushi. Which means that I think we should have Sushi Wednesday #4 (for real this time) on December 28th at 7pm, and Wasabi is still my candidate. I know I said Friday, but I'm afraid that Friday is going to be busy at restaurants, and I don't know if we'll be a big group or a small one. All in favor say "hai"?

I believe in rum drinkin' with friends and friendly strangers (how friendly depends on how much rum ^_~). The Casuelita's Night vote points to a gathering on a Friday, post-New Year's Day. If there is a week that is bad for you, let me know before I pick an evening.

In the vernacular of pirates who sail on Christmas ships, "Yo Ho Ho".

We have 23 confirmed. I ordered a sheep for 12. (The rest will be assorted dishes as we decide.)

My inability to objectify people is functioning and intact. I also knew that a lot of these men were married, so even if they were, y'know, firefighters... they were kyewt.

This year's calendar is very nice. The photographs are clever, risque, and very professional. Humor and sexiness come together in poses with axes and firemen's poles; everyone is smiling, which makes the hotness wholesome. (November, my best friend's birthday month, is a just-regular-guys shot with the engine and a couple of dalmatians.) The smiling makes it less of a beefcake calendar than commercial pinup calendars usually are. I like that a lot. One of the women (Kim, in March) signed with "Girls Kick Ass". {big grin) She's a Seattle firefighter, and, yeah... she's gorgeous.

As one of the guys signed a picture where he posed classically oiled-up and shirtless, I asked if he had fun doing the calendar. He dithered before answering yes. Some of the guys do these year after year, but they *are* just regular guys, so the teasing (and the ogling at the signings) might get a little old/embarrassing. In fact, the one that I know -- Ray -- has done previous years but didn't do 2006. I also asked Mr. April if he would do it again for next year's. "I'm from Vancouver [WA]," he said by way of explanation. "It's a long commute."

KP brought a friend and bought 2 calendars herself... yay! Because she wouldn't have known about it if I hadn't mentioned it a few days ago, and sent her the link to the site. She was very pleased. That's more $ and more promotion for the WSCFF!

The red rubberband-bracelets that they gave out at the door said "Hot for the Cause". Yeah.

I had another squee-moment at work yesterday when I realized that we're doing a loan for a guy who lists his employment as "Animation Lead". ^_^ *AND* I got invited to a private Metals Guild party tonight! Hurrah for being "sponsored"!

( and now for a quiz )

Tiring, huh? {pouts} I also took the Sci-Fi alter ego quiz, but I kept getting "Star Trek" results. (But Scotty. I don't mind that.) How do they know these things?