Candlelit Marshmallows

I didn't update last night because power went out on the entire block. And the park across the street, but I'm still trying to figure out what they needed to power over there.

Don't worry, Mom, I worked on Appendix 8 before the power went all wonky.

I cooked myself a lovely dinner last night, chicken legs and bok choy. Super delicious and very moist and COOKED ALL THE WAY THROUGH. All you have to do is set the oven for 375, rub salt and pepper (and garam masala if you're like me) and stick in the oven for 30-40 minutes. Simple, simple, SIMPLE! Cooking the bok choy was also very easy. Cut a head in half (lengthwise) and place several of these into a microwave safe bowl. Add several tablespoons of water and cover the bowl loosely in saran wrap. Microwave for 4-5 minutes. Voila. EASY DINNER.

Super easy.

What's dinner without dessert? I made BANANA S'MORES. (I do have pictures of all of this, they're just on my phone and such.) Right after I pulled my banana s'mores out of the oven, the power went kaput. Twice. The entire block.

So I finished my marshmallow confection in the dark.

I took this picture before the power went out.

I FINISHED MY VISA APPLICATION THIS MORNING. Yaaaaaay. And then I went to work. I took the 21 Hayes (again, to avoid that bus driver) and got in to work a couple hours early. So I stopped at a Starbucks, ordered a coffee and sat down to get into 1Q84 (refer to earlier post).

That book is getting interesting. It's totally unpredictable in a fabulous way. I can't wait to read it on the bus tomorrow.

Today, I was working the 3-9 closer shift. I walked into work, clocked in and started making sandwiches. Piglets and mousetraps were my game. And as soon as we opened, serving tons of booze to 22 year olds was the new game. Seriously, almost everyone ordered alcohol was no more than 22 tonight. I was getting those driver license that were still vertical. A lot of alcohol. So much was sold. Hooolllyyy crap.

Anyway. I walked to the bus after I got off work because none of the taxis driving by were open. The dogs were very happy to see me, insisting on food and dragging me several blocks around the Panhandle.

Thankfully, it's time to sleep for me.

Love,
Henna

The Bus is Full of Crazies

All of them. And they take the buses I always take.

Work was long yesterday. We had a huge build... etc etc. There was a 40 sandwich order at the beginning of our lunch rush, so everything was backed up 35 minutes. It was somewhat stressful.
So I skedaddled as soon as I could and ran off with Nate, Heady and Handsome Dan to band practice.

Handsome Dan brought his dog, Morrison, so I had some good company. I hadn't eaten, so I left for a bit to find something (anything) to eat. Hello Chili Lemon Garlic Thai Cafe! Thank you for the pineapple fried rice.

Dark picture, but Morrison isn't any less cute.

Today was pretty uneventful... except for the pregnant woman on my bus trading cigarettes. It was. Wow.

I was on the bus headed into my biometrics appointment so they could TAKE MY FINGERPRINTS. But the 21 Hayes (which I took to avoid that bus driver on the 6 Parnassus) broke down on Market St, so everyone on the bus had to get on the second 21 Hayes behind us.

You'll be excited to know that when I got off the bus to walk to my appointment, I never got lost. I even got there 20 minutes early. I thought it would be kind of like the DMV, but they asked for my passport and appointment paper and as I was being given a number, they called my number.

The woman who fingerprinted me was super nice. She asked if I was going abroad to study, what I was studying... (Psychology and Statistics in case you were wondering) We proceeded to have a discussion about child psychology and how siblings interact. She made the whole thing very pleasant. Conversation (mostly) distracted me from noticing that I have scars on every single one of my fingers. I think. Yichh.

But I did some grocery shopping and tried to cobble together dinner. I'll probably buy some sort of meat tomorrow to go with my veggies, fruits and carbs. *sigh* And I even used the exercise bikes and did push ups and stuff. My body is going to haaaaate me tomorrow.

Work tomorrow and hopefully some jogging with the dogs!

Love,
Henna

No, I'm Not Swiss

I have a pretty awesome sweatshirt. It's my dorm sweatshirt. It's a rip off of the lifeguard sweatshirt -- red, cross in the middle... etc.

I got on the bus to go to work this morning and the bus driver stops me by asking, "Where's your sweatshirt from?" And, as usual, I tried to lie except I hadn't had my coffee yet. So I told him it was my dorm sweatshirt.


Oh. My. God. There was absolutely no way I could get out of that conversation. It was too late to pretend I couldn't speak english and the other excellent excuses I have failed me.

When I was finally to 3rd and Market (one stop away from my stop), he asked for my email address so we could watch an improv show on Thursday.

...I might have given him a fake email and told him that I worked through every lunch shift known to man before I got off at my stop...

It was awkward.

I made poor man's bibimbop again! This time with carrots, zucchini, spinach and enoki... mmm good. I'll post pictures when my phone sends them to my computer.

Told you I'd post it.

Love,
Henna

A Problem

Heidi and I went for a walk with the dogs along Haight Street and decided to press our faces up against the Fluevog window. They're having a sale right now and they have purdy shoes. But as we were walking that direction, we passed by a kid. He couldn't have been more than 5 or 6 years old and was holding a sign that said, "I need money to buy a drink". How screwed up is that? He was so tiny, I could have picked him up under one arm and jogged like that. And yet, he was sitting outside a coffee shop, no parents in sight. I didn't even notice him until Stella almost mowed him down. Very pale kid in eyes, skin and hair, blended right in with the wall. We walked a couple of blocks away and called child protection services. They said they would send a cop car if the child was still there. I went back to check and that kid was long gone.

I'll be keeping my eye out for him whenever I'm up on the Haight. I'm calling someone the second I see him. 

The homeless problem in San Francisco is probably as it is in any other city... present. And usually we walk on buy, ignoring the signs trying to be clever and the haranguing that happens on the bus or in the subway. But this, today, really broke my heart. And not to say that Heidi and I are any better than everyone else who walked by. We went by this kid twice and then another block past before we decided to call. But six-year-olds shouldn't have to sit on the street to beg for money. I don't know where his parents were and frankly, I don't care. Maybe this is the only way they can provide for him. Maybe the kid is part of a very smooth scam. WHO KNOWS. It doesn't matter.

I have no idea how to solve the homelessness problem. It's an issue that is only present in the corner of my mind. But we, as humans and functioning adults, need to do something about these children. If you've ever seen What Would You Do, you know the typical set-up. A child is lost on the streets, etc etc and you could watch ages of footage with people averting their eyes and walking by.

At least... I don't know... look as you go by. Become educated through sight and experience. That man over there is homeless. Who knows why. But that man is a human, even if he doesn't bathe as often as we can or shave whenever there's a threat of a five o'clock shadow.

Observe, please. And maybe you can help a little kid.

It was serious today, I know. Tomorrow we'll return to our usual program.

Love,

Henna

I Eat Blood

Tilly is a couch licker. No really, she was sitting on the couch, licking it for a good half hour. It was a bit excessive.

I didn't post last night because I didn't think my life was exciting enough. BUT WHO CARES. I DON'T. MUAHAHAHA.

I worked the late shift at the restaurant last night and got out around 7:00. And I was starving for food and literature. I've been reading a new book every few days and I just started 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I'm only ninety pages in, but it's quite interesting. I've never read anything by a Japanese author before... I'm excited to do some style comparisons to other languages.

Dinner was on the mind so we went and got take out from Chile Pies (Sweet & Savory) and ate ALL THE FOOD. But it was really good.

Nate got back from Chicago today and declared that we should eat brunch. Because he was hungry.

Magnolia's does a pretty good brunch. No complaints about their steak and eggs.


Tonight we were hosting a baby shower at the restaurant. It was the big baby gender reveal, so everyone guessed when they got in and wore a sticker with either a mustache (boy) or a pair of lips (girl). However, one of the older gentlemen explained that the symbols on these stickers were silly because boys had lips and every woman gets a mustache as she grows older. It was a good time.

I was exhausted once it was finished. Very very tired. But I got to try a JALAPENO POPPER. It took me three summers. It's freaking awesome.

We drove around for a bit afterwards before finding a German place for dinner. The waitress was very sweet.

I asked her if she would recommend either the wild boar sausage or blood sausage.
"Do you like blood?"
HELL YEA I DO.

The blood sausage was bomb awesome.

Love,
Henna