5.20.2011

lunch fiasco

today at lunch, I got a bit of a late start eating. I usually meet up with Andy for lunch, but he had a work lunch thing-y. I noodled about on the internet for a bit, then went out to my car to try and call the bureaucracy about my healthcare. I made a misstep on the electronic voice answering on the call and got stuck in a robot-repetitive loop that just kept repeating the same question. so I hung up and called again. eventually got to a person, who told me that I had to call a different number, which I wrote down and didn't call because my lunch hour was already half-way over.

I was on my way down Hollis when I spied the Doc's Buns truck chilling at the lunch truck spot by Novartis. I had previously assumed this lunch truck sold hotdogs, since, well, it's called doc's buns and it has a picture of a dog on it, and the truck is a lovely burnt-red hotdog color. I decide to loop around and try it, since I'm short on time and Andy never wants to try the hotdog truck. I walk up to look at the menu and nary a hotdog in sight - but there's a bag lunch deal for a yummy sounding burger with fries and a drink, so I step right up and order the classic burger (no tomato) like a pro. and the food fiasco begins.

the guy in line in front of me had just ordered the last burger. well, since the menu was sparse, I got a little sassy when I asked what else they had. they had a black bean burger (?) or a chicken salad sandwich. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich to substitute into the bag lunch deal. cashier girl consults with sandwich prep girl. no can do - the sandwich is pricier than the burger, so I dish out 12.50 for a sandwich I don't really even want, but lunch hour is ticking away and I don't have a lot of options. (p.s. my chicken salad was the last one. it wasn't even 12.45 - how do they profess to serve lunch when they only have black bean burgers left before one o'clock??) I get the food, I grab some of the homemade ketchup, get in my car and book it back to the office.

I only have about ten minutes to eat, so I get scarfing as soon as I'm back at my desk. the sandwich is full of giant pecans and giant green grapes. there's hardly any chicken to it, comparatively. the pecans were alright. I do not like green grapes. I particularly do not like giant green grapes. the sandwich was on some yummy bread, but little bread, that didn't hardly contain itself - the entire contents flew out of it onto my desk. I picked out what chicken and celery I could find and ate the bread. I put the other half in the fridge because I'd already had to wipe my desk three times and my fingers four.

lunch was nearing its end, so I dumped the fries into a bowl to snack on while I went back to work. the fries were yummy! but just about all of them were no bigger than half an inch. I remembered seeing sandwich prep girl scraping at the pan for the last fries of the batch. at least they tasted good - well spiced, and the homemade ketchup was actually good, too. I've spent fifteen minutes eating out the biggest fries I can find when I accidentally nudged the ketchup, whose little plastic cup flew nimbly and landed upside down on the carpet, bounced, and came to rest under my desk. there were ketchup splats in a two-foot radius, on carpet, cubicle walls, boxes, and cabinets.

that's when I decided I'd better hurry up and finish this martinelli's before I dump it all over my keyboard.

verdict: Doc's Buns - yummy. would like to try the classic cheeseburger, which actually looked delicious as I watched them cook it up for the guy in front of me. I'll just say I caught them (and they caught me) on an off day.

5.02.2011

berkeley ward talent show

I played and sang 'Eli the Barrow Boy' (the Decemberists) at the
Berkeley University ward talent show, which is actually the same
thing I played and sang at the Pittsburgh YSA ward talent show.


I told Murphy I didn't need the microphone, but he insisted on holding it there.
turns out it wasn't even on. told him I didn't need it :) ...




then Andy played 'Easter Song'
we hadn't warmed up together, but I sang with him anyway.
turns out that tight throat muscles from nervousness
works out alright with my range for the Decemberists,
but not so well with high wispy backups for Andy.






I like this one a lot :)



I love how pleased we look, and also the bit of hesitation,
of seeing how it's been received.
I think it captures well the emotional vulnerability
of sharing music, because you're sharing yourself too.


thanks to carol hogan for the photography
she's great :)

5.01.2011

pictures yay!

I haven't taken many pictures but I finally uploaded them.
tada!

plane ride to san francisco to visit andy for his birthday

birthday! homemade pound cake with strawberries & whipped cream.
made by yours truly.

he's excited :)


the sunset we watched go down standing on the golden gate bridge.

picture of the other side of the bridge, towards east bay.
(picture I was snapping while andy tied my shoe,
right before he asked me to marry him)

right after I said yes :)


me and mom about to begin our cross-country road trip



pretty country

origami easter bunnies (thanks betsy, for the idea)