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September 29, 2006
Wisdom tooth extraction
I do have a tendency to procrastinate but I don't think I've ever procrastinated anything to the extent I had with getting my impacted wisdom tooth removed. The first instance happened was when I was in high school and had all my wisdom tooth removed but then opted not to have the impacted wisdom tooth removed as soon as the dentist mentioned it being underneath my gums. The second time I got cold feet was the winter before our wedding as the oral surgeon described the potential risks--things like temporary or permanent nerve damage, lock-jaw (or something like that), and other scary sounding things. There was no way I was going to risk something like nerve damage several months away from our wedding so I opted out again. I almost forgot postponing the procedure a third time until yesterday when I remembered I had gone so far as buying a prescription mouth rinse in preparation for the procedure. After my periodontist recently asked me why I hadn't had it removed yet, I finally made an appointment with an oral surgeon.
I was definitely not looking forward to it and spent a week stocking up on soft foods and dreading the potential pain. As it turns out, the extraction (which happened yesterday) was, fortunately, anticlimatic. Even the doctor was surprised by how easy the removal was--it literally took under a minute. I couldn't believe it, but I was grateful at the same time.
Posted by Jennifer at 07:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2006
Water taxi beach
Adam and I finally made it over to water taxi beach yesterday. I've been wanting to go for much of the summer so when we found out they were celebrating Oktoberfest this weekend we knew we had to go. I munched on their potato pancakes and Adam had a knockwurst but, mostly, we just enjoyed the relaxing setting and chilling with some of Adam's friends. A few photos below:
Posted by Jennifer at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)
September 09, 2006
Max Brenner and hamster derby
Hi Bloggingsoulmates! This is special guest blogger/stud muffin Adam! I had an action-packed day that's worth blogging about, no diggity!
First, I went to Max Brenner, a new restaurant by Union Square whose sole purpose is to facilitate and foster diabetes. They're known for their silky, insanely rich chocolate and all the crazy, unholy crap they do to it. After considering the chocolate pizza (with mini marshmallows-instead-of-pepperoni topping) and the Urban S'Mores (a giant fondue, but s'moresified), I went for the peanut butter brioche french toast, figuring it was the healthiest choice given that bananas and strawberries were included - that's REAL bananas and strawberries, not some crazy Max Brenner/Willy Wonka choco-artificial take on them. I also ordered the dark chocolat, a mocha cappuccino in a Hug Mug (tm).
After receiving/ignoring a lecture on the instructions of the proper usage and care of the Hug Mug (tm), one was placed before me. It looked like a gravy dipper, only filled with frothy chocolatey goodness instead of meaty giblets and liquefied fat. You're supposed to cradle the mug in both hands (thus the "hug") to keep it warm. And it did need to be kept warm, because the crap was practically cold. Here's an idea - serve it hot! Then you don't even need a dorkaroony Hug Mug (tm) and can use a normal mug like every other shmo restaurant.
The peanut butter French toast thing came out, and it too was barely lukewarm. But – OMFG. Now, I like sweet stuff just like the next guy, but this was redonkulous. It was a decadent, sinful mass of everything your high school health teacher warned you about (besides the genital warts). It seemed like they used a whole tub of peanut butter, generously and gleefully attacking three two-inch thick, French toast slices, which had long had since ceased to be a snobbily European carbohydrate and morphed into rich slabs of butter, sugar, lard, and many other things that wouldn’t mind stopping your heart. On top of the peanut butter were a bucketful of sweetened strawberries and halved bananas, looking like candy and not the healthy, disciplined choice of restraint I had envisioned. The whole thing took up a whole platter and had that artificial look of something that had come out of a kiln and slapped with layers of glaze. I had a feeling that if I turned my French toast upside-down, shook it a bit, maybe put it in a Gravitron, afterwards the fruit would remain perfectly glued and in position.
This is not to say it wasn’t good. It was VERY good. But it was also so outrageously over-the-top sinful, it was an affront to God. After a bite, my first thought was to go to church… and I’m Jewish! So I dunno… I think this Max Brenner guy needs to learn a little subtlety. I mean, if someone offered you a molten chocolate cake enveloped in chocolate fudge, sprinkled with chocolate chips and then deep fried in chocolate sauce, and, what the hell, shoved into a ham, you might say, “Hey, that sounds perfect!” But you are wrong. Dead wrong. And you sicken me.
Anyway, after clogging every artery in my body, I went on my next blog-worthy adventure – The Hamster Ball Derby Race! The nearby PetCo set up a small track in a tiny corner and the battle was on. Dozens of hopeful-looking children and their single parents stood around the track, clutching their pets and hoping their confused hamsters could pull off the ultimate win. There was a half hour of warm-ups, with every stupid child pushing their ball-encased hamsters down the track or standing at the finish line, shouting at the bewildered rodents to move in the direction of their voice. Finally, a PetCo referee showed up and laid down the ground rules, which involved various types of interference avoidance – no pushing the hamster balls, no kicking the hamster balls, etc. – none of which was adhered to. I even think a couple of the bigger hammies were juicing.
The air was palpable with excitement. Children shouted. Parents cheered. A lone hipster girl lamented being the only ironic, college-aged person with a hamster. People were pumped. The stakes were high. It was like the Kentucky Derby, only without the confetti and vomit.
It was a moment of living history. For generations, people will talk jocularly about the exploits of Sammy and Cinnamon, speak in hushed tones about Daisy and Hermione, and muse in awed wonder on Sweetie Pumpkin and Scooterboy.
But I wouldn’t know. The Mets were on, so I ducked out to the nearest bar.
But peanut butter French toast, hamsters, Mets…. All I know is that my day was filled with the wondrous taste of sweetness and victory.
Posted by Jennifer at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)
September 06, 2006
Snack, redux
Since going to Snack a month ago, I'd been hankering to go back so when the opportunity arose to go there today, I jumped at it. I had raved about the restaurant to Adam, of course, along with anyone else who would listen and couldn't wait to plunge into the delicious food I had experienced previously. As I scanned the menu for the chicken boureki, however, I noticed it was conspicously absent. Had they changed the menu? Sadly, they had--not only removing the savory pies section but increasing the prices of many items significantly. Adam and I ordered the combination platter of cold appetizers, the spinach and cheese triangles basket, and this lamb meatball dish. Save for the lamb meatball dish and the pita bread, we were disappointed by everything (my iced coffee included). The three overlap items (the potato garlic spread, spinach triangles, and iced coffee) were all noticeably worse than what I had had the last time. Very disappointing. I'm just glad I went there before they changed the menu.
Posted by Jennifer at 09:30 PM | Comments (0)
September 04, 2006
Labor Day Weekend
Just some photos from our the long weekend which included spending time with Adam's family and our super-cute nephew, a trip to the Planting Fields Arboretum (where we had taken a number of our wedding photos), and a party to celebrate Rusty's first birthday!
This cloud formation caught my eye
Coe Hall at the Planting Fields (where we took most of our wedding photos)
The happy couple
A cool tree
Rusty reads one of his birthday cards
The pooped out birthday boy
Posted by Jennifer at 10:19 PM | Comments (0)