More signs the world is ending

Ad on the front page of USA Today print edition: “Get celebrities’ birthdays on your cell phone. Text 12345 with message ‘bday.’”

What earthly good is this? So you can spend the day musing on how lovely it is that Justin Timberlake is celebrating his birth on THIS VERY DAY?

Honestly, people. If I ever start gushing about some celebrity’s birthday, take me out back like Ol’ Yeller, put a bullet in my delusional noggin and leave me for vulture food. Because at that point, that’s all I would be good for.

 

Neighborhood Gossip

I told you how Nice Neighbor John died in May of a rare heart tumor, right? (Rare heart tumor = something new to worry about).

And then how John had mortgaged his house to a fare-thee-well, probably to pay for his Cabernet and steak habit?

When the house was auctioned last week, the amount of debt on the books was close to $400k on a house that is worth maybe $350k - gotta love that superhot mortgage market of a few years ago.

Tonight when I got home, there was somebody inside John's house with a flashlight. I figured, given the timing, it must be the new owner. I was going to go over and say hi after I got all my stuff out of the car.

Meanwhile Neighbor Tina across the street (the school lunch lady) had seen the flashlight and figured it was robbers. She called the police, who arrived by the time I had unloaded the dog food into the house.

Can you imagine taking possession of your new house and, five minutes later, finding the police at your door? Nice!

Neighbor Jay and I stood around in the driveway talking about it and decided that at least he will know that the neighbors keep an eye out. That's gotta be good for something, right?

Loving art

This weekend at the San Diego Museum of Art, a sculpture rocked my world.

I didn't plan on it. I was merely looking for a place to sit. Fortunately, the bench was right across from a sculpture of a Chinese Guanyin Bodhissatva:



The picture doesn't do her justice. (The museum describes the sculpture as a he, but Kwan Yin/Guanyin is the Goddess of Mercy and this statue is a she. Believe me.)

Sitting with her, the most marvelous feeling peace and acceptance melted into my bones like warm honey. Her gaze is at once aloof and entirely present. She is not beautiful, but she IS beauty.

I wanted to meet the sculptor and bow down before them. To me, they created a perfect work of art. The statue is of the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, and in its presence, one feels mercy and compassion.

The statue is useful, too. Gazing into another person's eyes and truly accepting their love is difficult for most of us. Having a statue to cast that kind of loving gaze is easier to take.

I sat there and sat there. I left for a bit and came back. I returned again "just for a moment." I left my friends and went back to take a picture.

I thought about her all day. I am still thinking about her.

Now THAT is good art.

Cheese is my idea of heaven

I spent Sunday at the NASFT Fancy Food Show, where I mostly ate a lot of cheese. Two really stood out as being among the best things I had ever tasted: a creamy Sardinian Sheep's Milk Pecorino Romano, smooth enough to spread; and a lively, exciting Wisconsin aged Buttermilk Blue Affinee.

All of the wonderful foods that we consumed led CC, Ish and I to compose last menus. Mine included grilled artichokes, plain raspberries and a fennel-chestnut confit from Joël Robuchon.

What would be on your last meal menu?

Our new food blog!

CC, Ish and I have one big post over at Tres Amigos in Food Wonderland.

My mission is to get the whole world blogging! Two more down, six billion to go.