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July 29, 2003
Cough. Cough.
Not feeling well. Left the office early yesterday, and NyQuil is only good if I just want to sleep all the time.
Must find food so that I can take some DayQuil...
Posted by Samer at 10:43 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
July 27, 2003
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Took 'A' to the airport yesterday.
The last three weeks have been the most fun, the relationship we had was the best of any I've had. Three weeks. The deadline probably helped push us -- no time for the preliminaries, no time to think things through, no time to slow down, no time for shyness, no time to worry about feelings.
Those feelings are what came back to bite me in the ass though. I never realized how quickly I could become attached. And yet, I would not trade in a longer relationship if the start of it could not have been as fast, as strong, as amazingly mind blowing.
She wrote me a poem. Did I mention she is extremely talented? I'll cherish it, just as I will these last few weeks. Her smells, her noises, her pretty face, all indelibly etched into the substrate of my mind.
Stay in touch, sweet angel.
Posted by Samer at 01:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 22, 2003
'Crazy Fun'
Wondering who "A" is?
She's the girl I'm seeing now. I really like her, despite the fact that we're like oil and water: She's a vegetarian, I am a committed carnivore; she's going to law school so she can make the world a better place, I am a "yuppie"; she's crunchy granola and laid back, I'm nothing of the sort; she's creative (sings like a bird), I'm not so much.
And yet, we are having a great time. I'm having a great time. But a deadline looms: she leaves this town (a town she's not very fond of -- another place where we differ) and heads back to law school in Portland on Saturday. We both knew the timing when we started this, and yet I'm still not looking forward to it.
This is probably the best relationship I've ever had, mentally and physically. As she puts it, we're having "crazy fun".
Crazy, crazy fun it has been for three weeks. Crazy fun memories. Crazy fun times. And, hopefully, a crazy fun friend for life.
Posted by Samer at 10:48 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Chez Antoine
Took A to Chez Antoine tonight. It's a creperie (is that a word?), you know, a place that makes crepes.
Located in Adams Morgan, this minimalist walk up restaurant has the feel of a cafe, and could just as easily be in Belgium. The beer list, just as in many cafes in Brussels, is a long sheet of paper with a ton of Belgian beers (not to mention big beers from other countries). Boon, Liefman's and Lindeman's Lambics are all available, as are the Chimay beers, and big huge beers from Unibroue.
But while the beer list is impressive, the crepes are the stars of the show. They turn out tasty crepes for dinner, ranging from $7.50 and up. I had the tomato, ham and cheese with a béchamel sauce. Pretty damn good.
For desert, another long list of crepes to choose from. The banana Nutella crepe is highly recommended, even though the Nutella overpowers the banana.
I really like this place, the atmosphere is just brilliant and takes me right back to a day in Brussels.
Chez Antoine
2427 18th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
+1.202.387.1000
Posted by Samer at 10:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 20, 2003
Coho Salmon w/Sunburst Tomatoes
Coho salmon is back in season and it has a fantastic deep orange (almost blood orange) color. It has a more distinctive taste than farm raised salmon.
This recipe serves two if served with other sides or a salad.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Software:
1/2 lb center cut filet of Coho salmon, cut in half
10 ripe orange sunburst tomatoes
1/2 large lemon, juiced
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
2 tbl butter, 1 tbl pat and two 1/2 tbl pats
5 sprigs thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt
pepper
Hardware:
Covered non-reactive bowl or plastic container
Covered non-stick heavy bottomed 10" pan
Quarter the tomatoes and place in a non-reactive bowl. Finely chop the thyme and add to bowl. Add olive oil and lemon juice. Salt and pepper salmon to taste. Put salmon into bowl and toss around until well coated. Place in fridge for 20 mins. The salmon will start cooking from the acidity of the marinade.
Add large pat of butter to hot pan along with garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add salmon, skin side down, giving them space to breathe. Let cook for two minutes, untouched. Add marinade and top each salmon piece with a small pat of butter. Cover pan and place in heated oven.
Depending on doneness, cook for 5-9 mins. Place salmon on plate and reduce the sauce on high heat for 2-3 mins. Sauce should taste bright but the lemon should not overwhelm it -- add water and adjust seasoning if too lemony.
Serve with the sauce and tomatoes and garnish with some garlic chives or a sprig of thyme.
Leave a comment if you make this and tell me how it turns out.
Posted by Samer at 08:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Toothpaste
I went to the drug store the other day to pick up some toothpaste. Since when have we all decided to be like Ross on "Friends" and need to make our teeth so brilliantly white that we scare people?
They had a wall of Crest toothpastes. All I wanted was Crest MultiCare. Easy, right? Oh no. MultiCare Whitening, Extra Whitening, Dual Action Whitening, Crest Whitening Plus Scope. What the hell? Who needs all that whitening?
Ugh.
Posted by Samer at 07:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 12, 2003
Crash
I'd just dropped A off in Greenbelt and was headed home on the Beltway. I went the southerly route, and was doing fine up until shortly before exit 11B.
A guy on my left and slightly ahead of me accelerated a bit and started to head for the far right lane. I thought, "There is no exit there" and immediately hit the brakes.
He crashed at a 35 degree angle into the Jersey barrier and bounced off. Spinning, out of control, he cleared four lanes of the Beltway and bounced off the other side.
The car almost flipped twice. He went across the travel lanes again and came to a rest in the high speed breakdown lane.
I'm just sweating bullets at this point, having managed to slow down enough to avoid being caught up in his wreck, but still going fast enough so the semi behind me did not go through me.
911 transferred me to Maryland State Police, where a sleepy sounding operator took the details and hopefully sent help. I really have to stop driving on the Beltway: this is the second crash to happen in my view on that blasted road.
Posted by Samer at 02:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack