Winter Prep

But first, it was Veteran's Day today, honoring those who have dedicated their lives to serving their country:


WWI Memorial at Central Park

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I had the strangest thought as I was opening my eyes this morning: maybe I should boil the frankfurter before frying it.

You see, last week I made what I call "white" pasta: olive oil, black pepper, chili flakes, minced garlic, romano cheese, capers...but I had no prosciutto di Parma on hand, so made do with sliced, fried beef franks. It was really delicious too! Who knew?

Hence the thought this morning. It's nearly time to make pasta in a red sauce and I want to use hot dogs again. They are more affordable than prosciutto but also the last time I bought prosciutto, I packed it sideways in my jute shopping bag. Five days later I picked the bag up to go shopping again, noticed it was unusually heavy, and found the prosciutto tucked in the corner! So annoyed I was!

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View from the kitchen window now that the leaves are thinning out

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Winter is coming apace. Granted, we're still above 10C (50F) and properly sunny, but I don't want to be caught short when frozen water starts falling from the sky.

My friend Chris and I met up on Sunday just for the sake of meeting up. I love how my Houston friends are so simple that way; he had called from work a few days before because he realized he hadn't spoken to me in a week and a half (well, I was out of town...). That is a true friend, you don't have to make an appointment to chat on the phone, and you can arrange impromptu visits.

We had some decent cheeseburgers at the Good Burger Co. off Union Square - just the right size and not too tall to wrap my teeth around. I had the works: cheese, onions, crispy fresh pickle, grilled tomato, mayo, and ketchup on an honest, medium-well-done burger patty. The soft bun was extremely unobtrusive, serving merely as a vehicle to get the fillings into your mouth, rather than the usual hindrance.
The fries were apparently baked not fried, but they were so good I didn't notice the difference. Conclusion: The Good Burger Co. makes good burgers.

Since we always fail at catching the movies we want to see, we have given up on that and were going to randomly walk around until Chris said, "Olivia, I need to get some winter boots!" I said, "So do I!" and as we were just across the Square from DSW Shoe warehouse, I dragged him in and taught him how to choose snow boots. Being Texan, he had no idea. And I only know from buying them a few times in Canada during Christmas visits.

Then he helped me to choose mine. I have never gone shoe shopping with anyone other than me, myself or my mother; certainly not a male friend, but it was fun. If I hadn't had the encouragement or the criticism, perhaps I would have walked out with no boots again, just as I did last month. It was funny though, at the first boot I reached for (a wool-lined dark green suede knee length boot by Merrell) Chris emitted a firm, "No", so I withdrew my hand and retorted, "How very dare you!" But then I got used to the input and ended up with a waterproof suede (seems to be the only thing out there these days) by Sporto with warm and fluffy cuffs. The soles are something to be reckoned with, having tread facing forwards and backwards, like tiny rubber ice picks.

I also bought an awesome pair of leather and waterproofed canvas chukka boots by Timberland because the sneakers I bought in summer are not waterproof or windproof, which in colder weather translates into "leaky and drafty"! The Timberlands almost look bomb proof. Chukkas are similar to the boots worn by British forces in the desert during WWII. Don't worry, I did try on a sexy pair of knee-high brown suede 3-inch heeled pointy boots, except they had no price and were sitting in a clearance box with a worryingly high price tag.



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Ooh I didn't tell you, before I went to Canada, my little chest of drawers finally arrived:



Isn't it cute? Target has free shipping, therefore I love Target.

You guys, look at the boots and look at my dresser...!

I seem to be an odd mix of utility and romanticism, tomboy and sophisticate. I guess that is what comes of being an only child, you have to be everything to both parents...Help dad in the garage, help mum in the kitchen. Play with cars and electronics in my pink bedroom. Study science, study art. Nearly get recruited to the Navy at 18, study at Christies at 25, still want to do both at 31.
It is sometimes a balance; always a conflict.
Who am I???????????