Berry Red and Dark

Doing the previous tag reminded me of a night last year in D.C. when Mike, Dannii, Jess and I went to my favorite French place, Le Pain Quotidian, for the first time. It's one of my favorite memories from DC.

"Pouring a small pitcher of pure, Belgian, dark chocolate into the steaming cup of frothy milk produced a delight in me I can't explain. As did the sharp sweetness of the berry tart nestled in an almond crust. We devoured it with relish--our four forks carving and crumbling the saucer-sized dessert--our cheeks growing red with new warmth. In the pictures we took, the chocolate cups and tart look haloed, emanating their own light. After the inexplicable sadness of the previous night--Mike holding me until I quieted--the sweet warmness feels healing. I keep whispering to Mike, "This is what I've needed...I didn't realize...this is what I've needed."

It sounds ridiculous to say that a few bites of tart and a small cup of hot chocolate filled whatever was void in me, but I can't put away the deep sense of joy it evoked--the deep crimson of the berries, the creamy vanilla custard, the almond crust (i press my fingers to the crumbs and lick), the dark bitter of the frothy milk. But the richness of it, the communal blessing of partaking together--all leaning in, our eyes closing with every bite--filled some unknown cracks in my heart. Whatever sadness (or steadying hormones or universal conspiracy or...) seems to take from me, the world seems able to give back--berry red and dark--the beauty of the bite still lingering on the tongue--the suffused pink cheeks and ear tips of friends drawn close. I can hardly bear the fullness of it."

Tagged Twice

It's been over a month since I last posted. Lame, I know. I have been planning and putting on a Post-Election Conference (whose lovely, but inordinately large floral centerpieces are now standing like ruffled, magenta sentinels in front of our window). I have been in San Diego for a blissful week, stuffing my face with good things, witnessing the "Sham Slam" at Sea World, getting family pics done, and cruising around the town on Karen's shiny red Vesper (oh, I have such love). And now, after the madness, I have been virtually poked in the behind, impelled to speak, by Holly and Dannii. So, I speak.

Danni's Tag

8 Favorite TV shows (we don't have cable, so we only watch the Office with any kind of regularity)

• The Office
• Pushing Daisies
• ANTM (I know, I just can't stay away...)
• Chuck (recently introduced this last weekend)
• Lost (oh, the addiction)
• Freaks and Geeks (only one season, but excellent)
• Friends (watching it for the first time)
• Seinfeld
  

8 Favorite Restaurants

• Le Pain Quotidian (a little French joint in Georgetown that won my heart with the Belgian hot chocolate, the berry tarts, and the crusty bread)
• The falafel joint by my apartment in Madrid. I ate there almost every day.
  
• Thai Ruby. Or as Mike calls it, "the rubs," which really confused me while we were dating. To what shady establishment are you taking me? Can't get enough of the house special, C4, and the pad thai. Don't start me on the mango sticky rice.
• Carrabas. Chicken Bryan. Unlimited Bread and spices. Sausage lentil soup. Mmm. hmmm.
• The Bombay House. Sweet mother of naan. And coconut kurma. And saag. yes, please.
• Mazza. Middle Eastern place up in Sugar House. Hummus, baba gounoush, lentils. Oh, sigh.
• De Mai. Kind of a hole in the wall, but I crave their miso soup and tiger rolls.
  
• Mike's Pastries in the North End (Boston). The cannolis of my heart.
  

8 things that happened yesterday (December 1)

• Mike and I went swimming at the community center. Our new plan for better health. Swim cap and goggles included.
  
• I worked. All three jobs in one day.
  
• I gave a lecture on the Canterbury Tales, during which I said, "On their first encounter, Nicholas the clerk simply grabs Alison by the crotch, manifesting the courtly love tradition stripped of its veil of decorum to reveal bawdy, ribald desire." Not surprisingly, when I said, "crotch," I blushed crimson. I could not think of a better word.
  
• I searched for recipes to make this week. Shrimp Linguine. Pumpkin Curry Soup. Eggplant Parmesan. Yaki Soba. Lemon Chicken and potatoes.
  
• I made a shopping list for Mike. Broken down into categories. Even though he hates it, he went anyway.
  
• I watered my ever-burgeoning basil plant. Bless sunflower market and their $5 herbs.
  
• I called my grandparents in Montana.
  
• I ate the most succulent Valencia orange that we smuggled back from CA.

8 things I'm looking forward to

• Christmas break!!! We get to see both sides of the family.
  
• Training my nephew, Jed, to love me.
  
• Having only 2 jobs next semester
• Getting our first Christmas tree
• Having my own garden
• Finding out where Mike will go to law school
• Going to Europe with Mike
• Reading for pleasure again

8 things I love about fall

• The crisp cool
• The changing leaves (I miss Boston)
• Feeling cozy reading on the couch while it blusters outside
• Wool pants and boots (leather, not wool)
  
• Hot cho-cho
• Farmers Markets
• All of the holidays: Halloween, Thanksgiving
• Apple Crisp

8 things on my wish list

• A trip abroad
• A collection of all of Wallace Stegnor's works
  
• A Cast-Iron pan
• A music stand (and time to practice)
• Shoes, always shoes
• A presentable signature (I still don't have Bunnell down)
• A new car for Mike
• A new Mac-Book Pro (oh, I lust)

8 people I tag:

• Anyone who wants to do it.

Holly's Tag

7 quirky things about me

• I can't stop claiming Boston as home, even though I have now been living/going to school in Utah for about seven years and my parents moved to Indiana about three years ago. I still say, "they just moved." Don't expect me to stop anytime soon either.
  
• I obsessively compulsively pick the little fuzz balls off of my sweaters until I have created large, fluffy piles. We call them pee-wees at my house. Could not say why.
  
• The women in my family can all do this very creepy little girl's voice. Sometimes we communicate that way. It freaks Mike out. He think she (yes, she has a name: Emmaline) sounds like Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter.
• Things have to be locked. The house. My car. I feel unsafe otherwise. This is antithetical to the Bunnell approach which is to tacitly invite predators to take their best shot. Maybe collect some insurance on that car.
  
• I like bitter things. Dark dark chocolate. Bitter herbal teas. Biting yogurt. Mike calls all of this stuff, "witchy poo." Especially my teas (which are very tasty, by the way).
  
• I hate the sound of alarms going off. When we first moved to Utah, I was so stressed about getting up that I could not sleep if I set my own alarm. I'm slowly getting over it.
• I secretly love celeb goss. Not enough to buy it. But enough to take long hard looks at the trashy headlines at the grocery store.
  

I tag anyone interested.