DO THIS NAO.

[lillbet]

Add "molecular gastronomie" to your interests. DO IT. If you don't know what that is, it's a really stunning amalgamation of food and science. The best known source of this stuff is HERE and locally at Jose Andres' Minibar, which I have yet to visit, because it's goddamn expensive.

Wednesday Tav and I had dinner- hadn't seen each other for yonks (and I do mean yonks- it's been at least a year if not more) and after a glass of wine we were back to being thick as thieves. My coworker, on his birthday, brought me the CUTEST lil' linzertorte from the 'strant he went to for his b-day lunch. I shared it with Tav- served with creme fraiche ice cream and strawberry basil sauce. Holy gawd. Tav couldn't finish the cake and asked me to wrap it up so she could take it home, so you know it was good stuff. Must learn how to make a linzer torte.

Last night I saw a high school friend I literally hadn't heard from since 1995, and I think we're seeing a baseball game tonight- if it doesn't rain and I don't pass out from exhaustion (bedtime was 3am, wake-up was 7:30. Guh.)- and probably hanging out at a vineyard a friend of hers owns on Saturday. Kiki is in from Minnesota and that's news, because now I have yet another reason to visit Minnesota, as if a good third of my flist weren't enough. She and I seem to have meandered down the same life paths, but she's a helluva lot cheerier than I've been lately, so clearly she was a good person to reconnect with and Facebook is not the real evol.

Also, Kiki and her hubs are trying to sell a house in Colorado Springs, Colo. For $188,000. Yes, that is a "1" and 2 "8"'s and 3, not 6, "0"'s. It's under contract, but they've gotten to this stage before. While I hope it all works, part of me would kinda... like... to... live in... Colo-fuckin'-rado. Because... COLORADO. MOUNTAIN BIKING. SNOWBOARDING. HIKING. B-B-B-B-BEER. EFFING HIPPYTASTIC LIFESTYLE. AND THE HOUSE IS LESS THAN $200K. Having a job there would be good, but FUCKING HALE. *koff* Sorry. Got carried away there.

Comments

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, there is a guy in my program who's worked as a cook, and he just went off on a tear about molecular gastronomy this week and warned us all never to eat it because it was gross and would give us all cancer, lolz.

Also, that is what houses are supposed to cost. XD

I still haven't seen Wolverine.

[train-lindz.livejournal.com]

Holy shit, that is a cheap house.

I can lives in Colorado?

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

He's too close to it and should SHUT THE HELL UP! I dated a chef for a bit and frankly they are PITAS when it comes to food and eating out. Sadly, they are also the source of all good food and eating out... ness. Catch-22. Xp I totally want to check out Wylie Dufresne's place WD-whatever in NYC. He's supposed to be a total babe genius with a blow torch and liquid nitro.

We had discussions last night about this housing thing. When did land become so effing expensive that a house costs what it does... thought. Lost.

WELL NEITHER HAVE I BECAUSE I AM WAITING FOR YOU. Xp I'm a dipshit, but I would really like to see the movie with someone who's jazzed and we need to hang out. Next week any good? Next weekend? Am I laying it on a bit thick? More importantly, do I care?

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

I swear to gawd on a biscuit, if I'd known she was selling, I would have jumped on this ages ago. It's... damn.

Kiki, by the way, went to Macalester for undergrad, love hockey (hell, she plays) and beer. We got to chatting at the happy hour her friend T. threw her at the Brickskellar. I seem to have a lot of fun at the Brickskellar. Not quite as much as when you guys were in town, but I'm getting there...

[train-lindz.livejournal.com]

BrickSkellar haz hot waiter boy :)

I approve.

[lupislune.livejournal.com]

That's a great price for a place in Colorado Springs! I hope that it works out for them.

Meeting up with old friends is quite fun :)

Yah!!! for possible ball game visit tonight :D

[rampantwhistler.livejournal.com]

MINNESOTA!

Wow, that's some bargain for that house.

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

Dudez, except for corrections and grading, I am free after Saturday (tho I am already supposed to go see Star Trek on Sunday with someone already, I think - not sure, may go to aquarium instead).

I was thinking of going to see Wolverine tonight. I've got a paper to write but IT'S ON COMIC BOOK MOVIES, LOLZ, so I could claim it as research. Plus I have all day to work on it. ;)

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

We had a hippy waiter boy with dreads. IT'S A SIGN, I TELL YOU.

My gawd it was so awesome to reconnect after 20 (OMG, IT HAZ BEEN SO LOOOOONG) and discovered we still, well, connect! It was hilarious- she remembers that I helped her buy her prom dress (apparently I've always been quite the personal shopper).

I have to ask, what is it about Canadia that it makes anyone who spends any amount of time there over, say, a week, so easygoing and pleasant and just plain awesome? Is it the water? Or the beer? I WANT SOMMA DAT!

[tragical-mirth.livejournal.com]

Also, I havez no ideaz whyz I had to putz a z on the end of every word.

I blame it on the stress.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Nope, you cannot go tonight. I've got that baseball game and you've got a paper. I want to see Star Trek again, but I won't horn in on your outing because I... am stupid? But seriously, next week sometime- aside from Wednesday I think I'm free.

[train-lindz.livejournal.com]

We are a relaxed people on a whole :)

I have no explanation for it. Probably because they but beer in the water and we are all continuously buzzed, happy drunks.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Have you ever been? I haven't. I only know the town because there's a bike fabricator I like out there. It's supposed to be a pretty cool place.

I was really pleased- Kiki and I haven't seen each other in, well, ages, but we fell into an easy rhythm, made more so by being adults rather than silly kids. It was great! :)

Don't know who's playing- I'm going to let it be a surprise. ;)

LOLRS8Z.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Oop. I'm blaming exhaustion.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

FO SHO! I'm going to have to add it to my places to go list, clearly.

IKR? I'm curious about the neighborhood. Also, they moved to Minn after living there and hadn't paid off the house, so they're kinda taking a bath on the deal, but still...

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Well she's also lived in Minnesota for a few years, which is apparently rife with calm and ease and lacking in that sense of drama that infests the Mid-Atlantic. No danger of overemoting there, so no stress, no... why the hell am I here still?

Ah. I like that. See, blaming the consumption of massive quantities of maple sugar and being post sugar crash docile seemed way WAY too easy. I'll have some of that beer/water, if you please. ;)

[lupislune.livejournal.com]

I was out there a few years ago. Colorado overall seems to be a great place to live, great scenery, a good amount of jobs, and the climate is quite acceptable. I hear that businesses out there are given better tax credits and other advantages as well. I think my favorite city out there was Fort Collins. It is close to a variety of events, skiing, sports, etc, not to mention some rather sizable companies such as Intel, HP, AMD, and Budweiser make it their home.

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

I remember watching a whole FoodTV special on molecular gastronomy. As a former chemist, I was utterly fascinated by it. I think it works as an exhibition more than as a culinary experience.

(Besides, all good chemists know that cooking is just chemistry in a nicer lab. ;))

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

We'll keep the lutefisk on for ya!

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Aaron went to college in Fort Collins, so I've heard a lot about it. It sounds great, aside from it's being a college town (but then what isn't nowadays). I think my only concern would be finding a job- I'm not a computer geek and I am philosophically opposed to Budweizer just on principle. *lol*

Which reminds me, there's a brewer's festival out that way last weekend of June. Really should book stuff now, I guess.

When you went, did you go for work or for fun? Or were you living there?

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

I remember the first time I heard about El Bulli. I love ice cream so of course the whole nitro ice cream thing sounded cool. And the things you could turn into "caviar" or "cotton candy". I like that folks are willing to push the envelope and while I doubt I could live on that sort of thing, it's the experience that I'd come away with and remember- good or bad.

And yeah, that's a good way of putting it. :)

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Oh, see, now you're selling it like a pimp on a Times Square street corner. XD

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Wow, I thought my approach was a bit more subtle than all that.

I was thinking more Naked Cowboy on a TImes Square street corner, actually.

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

I think it's interesting the sort of things they're doing to marry science to food, but I wish that the reverse would happen too. Food is such a good way to demystify science, and nobody's taking that approach. *sigh*

[lupislune.livejournal.com]

I had gone out there to take a landscape architecture licensing test in Wyoming, and decided to drive down through Colorado the week after the test.

I hear they have some great micro brews as well which, I agree, lol, are much better than certain "domestic" brands.

I've heard some good things about the brewer's fest out there. It would probably be a great time to visit there, lol.

[loveweasleys04.livejournal.com]

HELLO MINNESOTA!! NOW I DON'T WANT TO MOVE!!!

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

I think if teachers were given the resources, they'd be more likely to pursue this course. Do high schools still teach home ec? I never took such a class, but they had it in Japan in the mid to late 90's and I frankly have not a clue.

A friend of mine teaches elementary school around here and she uses baking in her science classes to explain mixtures, state changes, molecular reactions, etc.

I've not got the skills to be a science teacher, personally, but if I could teach such a class I'd call it "Brownie in Motion". GEDDIT? Oh, it would be SUCH fun!

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

THEN DON'T!

You're on my list of folks to visit wherever you end up.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

It was gyrating like him, but the strumming was off. More practice, I think.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

That's really cool. Have you talked about this before? If so, point me toward a link so I can catch up on your adventures.

I think Long Trail Ale and its ilk are from Colorado, but I can't be sure and I'm afraid to look online because I feel kinda yucky right now so thinking about beer isn't... ooh, beer.

I'd like to go. With the move, though, I'm a bit hesitant to make plans, but I will definitley give it some thought.

[loveweasleys04.livejournal.com]

WE'LL KNOW SOON hopefully

Awww yay! We can have a "just girlz" night on the town?!

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Naturally! I would REQUIRE it! :)

[lupislune.livejournal.com]

I think that I have a few entries on it, but I think it is before I started using tags, lol. I'll see if I can find them :)

Yeah with the house hunt it, it is difficult to make travel plans like that :)

[zomgjess.livejournal.com]

Please, why would she move to Minnesota when she could move to San Diego. We have proper weather. Not eighteen months of snow a year :p

[susanbones111.livejournal.com]

I've been to Colorado many times. My aunt, uncle and cousins live there. They moved to Colorado Springs when I was ten years old. All I remember about the Colorado Springs area was Pikes Peak, Garden of the Gods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garden_of_the_Gods
and touring the Air Force Academy, which was cool. They moved to Boulder a few years later. It's between Denver and Fort Collins. We've done some tourist things, like checking out Vail and Aspen in the summer, and staying overnight in Glenwood Springs and swimming in the public pool which was heated by the hot springs there. I threw my back out in Walden, CO, a very memorable occasion. *lol* And I roamed around the state with my college Geology class one summer, camping in Rocky Mountain National Park and a whole lot of other places. I love the mountains. Too bad I live in very flat Illinois.

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

Yes, but San Diego will eventually fall into the ocean with the rest of its state.

Minnesota will be here FOREVER!! ;)

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Nice use of the "APOCALYPSE CARD". ;)

[roh-wyn.livejournal.com]

I'm getting better at the whole "my fail scenario is better than your fail scenario" thing. ;)

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

Well of course. Because you should never have a lame fail!scenario.

[lillbet.livejournal.com]

I would answer this and ask you tons of questions, but I'm still flailing in jealousy.