Slightly Dorky Nerd Queen

This proves that...big surprise...drumroll please...I'm a book nerd!

Spot on

You Are the Library

You are very intellectual and well read. You tend to be absorbed in your own interests. You can seem a bit standoffish. To be honest, you're not that interested in other people. You are comforted by the things you own. You tend to be a pack rat. It's likely that you have many old possessions that you treasure. You rarely throw anything away.

What Room of the House Are You?

I actually posted this already on Facebook, but I thought it worth a repeat mention. Never has a quiz been so correct about my personality. Sick!

I'm not cheap...

I just don't like to spend ridiculous amounts of money on items that aren't worth it!

I had off on Friday, so I decided I'd catch the Wolverine movie (Hugh Jackman, I mean, come on!) I decided to go to the 4:30 showing at my local theatre. The optimist in me hoped for matinee pricing. That was dashed upon arrival - apparently only the first showing is discounted, at least on Fridays. This is annoying. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't matinee as a word have its root in afternoon?

Okay, whatever. I wanted the full movie experience, as I rarely get to the theatres anymore, so I thought I'd get the popcorn and soda combo. I asked the concession stand lady what was the cheapest way to get this and she said the medium, which came out to $12. That was (marginally) more than the price of admission. Ouch.

I grumbled my way to my seat; it's not like I needed a soda of that size - after all, I was alone and couldn't very well get up during the movie. Never mind, I thought, I'm going to enjoy myself and Mr. Jackman (and the guy who played Gambit wasn't bad either). I don't see movies just for the eye candy - I'm actually a big fan of comic book movies (as evidenced by my Comic Con attendance), but it doesn't hurt.

Sometime during the first half of the movie, I shifted my legs and the popcorn went flying. There was a PILE of popcorn at my feet. So what is that - six bucks down the drain? At least I still had my high fructose corn soda!

It's May - this is the biggest time of year for me to be attending movies. I haven't been to a movie theatre since December, when I saw Australia in Florida (yes, I know who was in Australia). This is not because I don't like the movies. I love the whole experience - from the previews to the superior sound quality (my TV isn't fabulous, but I'm not complaining). I would go to the movies at least once a month - if I could AFFORD to. At these prices, who can? Between the admission and refreshments (or flooring, apparently), I could almost see a discounted Broadway show.

Why can't the theatres give us a break? Do they not want to fill up the seats beyond the opening weekend? Don't they want to make me happy? Guess not.

I'll just have to join Netflix.


Moofer/Oolong/Pride and Prejudice (requisite cat/tea/book references.)

I almost forgot...

April is a big Anniversary month for me - in fact today is my sister's eight wedding anniversary. I nearly forgot to notice, though, that this blog turned 4 on Sunday. Thanks for reading, everyone!

(Coffee) and Tea Festival 2009

So I made it to my second C&T F, and this time I was accompanied by Daphne. I have to say it was more enjoyable to share with someone. Daphne was an especially good companion, as she is really enthusiastic about new ideas, and asked some good questions.

I'll start with the disappointments, to get them out of the way. I'd read on the website and the program that Biscottea was going to be there, and since last year that was a highlight for me, I was looking all over for them. Perhaps they came on Sunday, but they were nowhere to be found on Saturday. The seating for the talks was a little wonky too. Tea Master Yong Hee Kim demonstrated a Korean Tea Ceremony. The only problem was that it was done on the floor, and everyone sitting behind the front row had to crane their necks or possess x-ray vision in order to see it.

What wasn't so much of a disappointment, more of an awkward moment, happened during the Afternoon Tea talk given by Ellen Easton. I'd heard this one last year; it's basically about the traditional method, though of course there are no hard and fast rules. Well, she decided to address certain protests called "tea parties" that happened last week. Her point seemed to be that she didn't like to hear tea and tea parties being used in this way, as it sends a different meaning behind what her career in tea parties is. Unfortunately she mentioned "right wing", and during the Q&A she got a heated response from one woman. Though she did apologize, the rest of that hour was thicker than clotted cream. Even the questions about when to add milk seemed hostile.

Moving on, it was a pleasure to hear speakers on chocolate tasting and coffee cupping. I am eager to have tasting of my own at home, and wouldn't mind consulting Dina Chaney's book. As far as coffee, I myself will never be that into it: how can you truly love what doesn't love you back? - but Marcela Zuchovicki did have a contagious enthusiasm.



Yoon Hee Kim from the Korean Tea Culture Foundation handled two parts of the day's main stage activities. Though I couldn't see the Korean Tea Ceremony as well as I'd like, what I did manage to see looked really splendid. The way her hands moved was so graceful and fluid. Years of training might help, but I'd still probably fumble with all those little cups. The part "From Garden to Cup" gave a little idea of what the tea you drink has been through since it was plucked from its bush/tree. I tend to forget the entire process, so it was nice to hear it explained.



Chris Cason from Tavalon demonstrated a number of tea cocktails. He made a type of tea toddy that we got to sample. It was very autumnal, and extremely flavorful and comforting. I need to experiment with my liquors and teas. Well, maybe in moderation. I'm not a teetotaler, but I have my limits! The Earl Grey infused vodka seemed easy to make, anyway.



There were enough vendors to make my cash flow quicker than the teapots, but I managed to reign in. Most of my purchasing was from Tay Tea (their "Better Than Sex" rooibos blend is amazing), and Tavalon. I sampled macarons from Georgia's Bake Shop, and they really melt in your mouth. I really have to stock up on those.

Requisite dorky picture:



He was a black tea leaf.

Making a Spectacle of Yourself

I don't do enough ranting here nowadays...

All right, so over the weekend I was in Claire's Accessories (what? I like their...hair clips), and I noticed a whole section of eyeglasses, not sunglasses. I thought, well, this is nice, people who need reading glasses don't need to shell out a lot of money. Then I looked closer. They weren't reading glasses. They were Accessories.

I do not appreciate this. Unless you're working for a great metropolitan newspaper and you fly off to save the day regularly, wearing fake glasses is uncalled for. Think about it: why were eyeglasses invented? For vision correction. That's it. They've been perfected over the years, made a bit more attractive, so that those of us who have bad eyesight don't get beat up in gym class as much. I'm grateful for that.

I've been wearing glasses since 1984. I have contact lenses, but I can't wear them every day, and at my prescription they're pricey (on top of paying to have the lenses on my glasses look less Coke bottley). I'd rather not need them, but I know it's better than being actually blind, so I deal with it. And frankly, when I've had a restless night, it does cover up the puffiness a bit, so yes, there's a benefit.

But as an accessory? Wrong! Myopia isn't quite a disability, but it feels like one. Who would roll around in a wheelchair because it's suddenly hip? Who would wear a neck brace or a hearing aid, or a arm cast because it's a trend? No, if someone did that, it would be considered sick and cruel to the real sufferers. What makes vision correction different? Bad form!

That's it, I'm just cranky. I think I'll just retreat to my quiet apartment, and enjoy a nice cup of Theraflu. No, I'm not sick. What?

Oh come on man!

I got the following message from a Whittard email :

Whittard Stores in US have closed
You may have heard that the Whittard tea store at Faneuil Hall in Boston, MA has closed. The parent company, Whittard of Chelsea, UK went through some restructuring and one of the things they did was to close all the Whittard US stores. Whittard UK is still in business and continues to market their products. If you want to buy more of their fine tea, hot chocolate, or ceramics, see below.


Okay, they never made it to New York, but it was nice just to be able to visit them when I went to Boston, and to know they were only a bus ride away. In fact, I was hoping that like Lush, they would eventually make it to NY, but no.....

I'm sad. Topshop coming to Soho really soon is not making me feel better. I also feel bad for the nice girls that worked in Feneuil Hall; they were really helpful and taught me the proper pronunciation for Whit-tard. I hope they found another job somewhere - is Lush hiring?

I'll get over this; give me time. At least I still have two of their teas left. Now I only have the myriads of online and nearby tea companies to get my teas and infusions from. Darn.

Frostea

It's not summer yet (thankfully), but this year I'll have another treat to add to my list...and this one's perfectly healthy. On a recent Whole Foods spree, while looking for an ice cream substitute, I saw a product called Frostea: ice pops made out of different kinds of tea. It's dairy free, gluten free, calorie reduced, and did I mention it was made from TEA?! All right, the one I selected was made from herbal tea, but that's fine too. Caffeine free! It was called "Cool your jets", which is perfect. It had chamomile, lemon, mint, and is sweetened with honey. It tasted really good, and refreshing. Actually, it reminded me of the smell that comes from opening a box of Celestial Seasoning's Sleepytime. How peacefully nostalgic.

Even better, I can finally have an ice pop, the ones you squeeze out of the plastic and try not to spill all over yourself, and not feel like I'm eating something completely worthless and childish. Of course, I might indulge in a scrape ice from time to time (I love scraping with the wooden spoon!), but I think I'll try Frostea's other flavors first.

Hi Lily

I only have myself to blame.

I tell myself to lay off the chocolate; much as I love it, it doesn't love me back, and why should I live with that kind of rejection? But I keep relenting, keep letting a little more chocolate into my life. There's always an excuse. This time it was the opening of a new shop near Bryant Park (hence walking distance from my job), called Lily O'Briens.

It was the combination of it being a damp day out, and the intrepid feeling of trying a new place. Plus, once I can smell the chocolate I'm doomed. So I bought a cup of dark hot chocolate to accompany me on my way back to the office.

It was $4.25, which is crazy, but I suppose being near the site of a biannual fashion week they could get away with it. Plus it wasn't made from cocoa powder but rather melted down chocolate, so it was really rich - the way it should be, as I've said before.

I only looked around the shop really quick. It was pretty enough, and seeing as it's named after its Irish founder, I was grateful not to see the usual traps of shamrocks and green, green, green. I know it's my favorite color but it just wouldn't have been cool in this context. Besides, Wednesday will show enough of that theme all over the city. I also briefly noted that they use a Parisian tea company, Dammann Freres, which means I must return at least one more time.

The napkins are chocolate brown, which is awesome. Have you ever wiped your mouth after drinking hot chocolate, and been kind of grossed out? Well, I have, so this was good thinking and presentation on the part of whoever chose the napkins.

So back to the actual hot chocolate. Oh yeah, marvelous it is. On the drizzly day I tried it, the chocolate simply hugged my tongue like a blanket you pull over yourself while watching a DVD at home when the heat hasn't come up properly. Oh, and it tasted magnificent as well.

I did not escape the requisite "stomach" issues later on (sooner rather than later, actually), but I'm glad I was able to give it one try. If you're in the area, it's certainly worth a stop-in.

Out of two pinkies up, I'll give it 1 1/2 - not because I felt sick later, that's my fault, just because it could have been slightly cheaper.

Teashop Girls

I haven't had such a good time reading a YA book in ages! Surprise, surprise, it's about tea. I really wish books like these were around when I was younger, but at least we had Anne of Green Gables.

Speaking of red-haired Annes, the main character in this story is Annie Green, a 13-year old girl living in Madison, Wisconsin who loves her grandmother's teashop, The Steeping Leaf. This in itself is endearing. She wants to work as a barrista there. When this particular dream comes true, she must work out her feelings for a fellow barrista, while trying to save The Leaf from closing for good. And she tries to keep her Teashop Girls together, she and her two close friends since they were little girls.

I rarely run across a book like this, and I wish young readers could get into this kind of reading. Some one's review I read of this book mentioned that it reminded them of the Babysitters Club, and I agree. There's a level of professional spirit in Annie that's coupled with respect for authority. Plus it has a degree of wholesomeness without the dullness, and without a supernatural being in sight, yet entertaining. You just don't see that too much in the YA section of the bookstore. Did I mention the tea?

Interspersed within the chapters are facts about tea, including history, brewing instructions and recipes. I did scratch my head when it was mentioned that Queen Elizabeth I drank tea every morning - because last time I checked people weren't drinking tea in England till the mid seventeenth century - I think the English were still imbibing ale on their misty mornings at that point. But I'll let that fly.

It's a quick read, and fun, and in a sense deeper than chick-lit, so this is definitely two pinkies up.

After a long walk, one is in need of refreshment. And it was a long walk - from Astoria, Queens to the Upper West Side in Manhattan is no joke - approximately 6 miles, according to Map Quest. Now if you're slightly out of shape (and blaming the recent inclement weather), that's quite an accomplishment. I'm not complaining or looking for commendation; just observing. In fact, it was an enjoyable walk, with two good friends for conversation and a definitely scenic route - all on one of the most gorgeous weather days in ages.

At this point, though, we'd worked off our lunches and were looking forward to a nice dinner. What we needed to hold us off was a little break in a cafe - and the Upper West Side has enough of those. Daphne had heard there was one on 84th Street that was on a site Poe once lived at, so...why not?

I was relieved enough upon entering that it was only lightly influenced by all things Poe. There's always the frightening prospect that someone is going to try to pull a Jekyll and Hyde-type restaurant, which is fun if you're in the mood, but I didn't feel like seeing a menu full of ravens and pendulums and tell-tale hearts,and thankfully it was not like that. The ceiling looked a bit flamey, and the chandelier was kind of incongruous next to the very ordinary looking ceiling fans, but it was a pleasant environment.

As a Cheapy Mccheaperson, I was a little wary looking at the menu. Nearly everything was priced slightly above what I was comfortable with, but I was calm enough, knowing I was just going to get dessert and tea. I ordered carrot cake - which was a mistake. I love a good, moist carrot cake with its slightly risky (for me) cream cheese frosting and walnuts. This cake was kosher, though, which perhaps affected its carrot cakeiness. The cake portion was like carrot cake flavored wheat bread, and the frosting was more like low fat butter than cream cheese. Hopefully what was lacking in taste was also lacking in calories. Daphne had a berry rhubarb pie, I think, and she didn't mind it but didn't rhapsodize either. Jodi tried a split pea soup and said it tasted very fresh, so points scored there.

The tea, however, was not a disappointment. I've never heard of Paromi Tea before - but then again it seems there's more tea companies in existence nowadays than the total amount of lovely weather days in my entire life. It was a big plus that they use Paromi tea bags that are of the nice quality pyramid type. I ordered the Lemon Ginger Oolong, which was described as "intensely aromatic and smooth with a gentle lingering of lemon and ginger". That it was. It gave me just enough of a pick-me-up to get me through the rest of the evening (though we didn't actually walk back to Astoria.) And the taste was light and lingering. Beautiful.



I will forgive Edgar's for the dull cake, as I hear some of their desserts are to die for, and I'd like to give them a second chance - when I'm in the splurging mood, of course.

Bathroom report: Very clean and actually pretty; almost felt like I was in a tiny indoor garden/sitting room. These little things are important.

Slightly Disappointed

I completely deserved a treat after yesterday's long hike. Daphne and I managed to get to Midtown Manhattan from Astoria within an hour's time, despite it being pre-snow chilly out. I need this kind of exercise more often, but since winter's a rough time to be out and about, and joining a gym would completely break the bank, I've been nearly hibernating for the past three months. So what are two thoroughly pleased-with-themselves but weary ladies to do but head down to Caffe Reggio for something nice and refreshing?

As I've mentioned before, Reggio is (by American standards), an ancient cafe that boasts NY's "Original Cappuccino". The food's okay (my favorite is the Pignoli Tart), and they even serve loose tea (great for a city that rarely serves loose tea with exception to actual tea rooms), but it's the ambience that draws me back. They really don't make 'em like this anymore, the dimly lit, dark Italian Renaissance paintings, kitschy statues, clocks, the original cappuccino urn - attempts to recreate this vibe elsewhere would likely seem contrived. It feels European without the exchange rate - and the increasing proliferation of conversations that end with a question mark? at every sentence and phrase? confirms that some of the young hipstery types have found their way here. Thankfully they're dispersed among other kinds of people? (oh no, I'm talking like that now!)


Every time I come I've looked longingly at the corner near the restroom that I call the "Nefertiti Suite", because it's ensconced in such a way that would make it cozy for couples, yet appealingly private for someone like me - oh and there's a Nefertiti bust on the wall above. This was the first time I arrived to find that corner empty, and I made a beeline for it. So far, so good. My time there chatting with Daphne was just lovely, and in that I was perfectly happy. But I made one mistake - I ordered the hot chocolate.

Here's a brief history of the Gata and chocolate. I, like most people, love chocolate, but like some people, does not get love in return. I have certain sometimes embarrassing digestive issues that leads me to cut down on food containing dairy, red meat, coffee, and chocolate. When I do have any of these things in a meal or drink, I make sure to make it worth my while. I truly savor it. (Recently I had a cheeseburger deluxe with a vanilla milk shake, and despite the discomfort the following morning, it was absolute heaven.) So I make sure to have only cheeses I really like, quality ice cream (no diet Breyers for me!) beef that doesn't take effort to chew (why waste my time on a tough steak?), and only the most fabulous chocolate. I shun most candy bars, and don't go near Swiss Miss. They're not horrible, but the ensuing results have to have made the investment worth it. A few weeks ago I allowed myself a small cup of Jacques Torres hot chocolate, and I was near tears from the sheer pleasure. Sometimes I'll allow myself a red velvet cupcake, but only from places known to make the best ones (Magnolia!)

Knowing this, ordering hot chocolate at Caffe Reggio was an informed decision. One news website claimed that the best hot chocolate in NY was here. I figured my socks would be knocked off, along with my boots and my growing blisters. And...meh. It was just ok. I know I didn't order whipped cream - I didn't think I'd have to. But it was kind of watery, not a large cup, and simply boring. Yes, I added sugar, and it helped (I already knew it wasn't gonna come sweet). I don't know, though. It wasn't terrible, but if I'm going to risk an outraged "stomach", I want PERFECT! THE BEST! And it wasn't that at all.

Thankfully it didn't quite ravage my gut, but I did have trouble sleeping last night - not the best way to start a snowy Monday.

To sum it up, I love Reggio, always will, and I know I'll return again and again. I hope they stay around for a long time. I'm just not gonna order the hot chocolate.

There's a rainbow in my room

This has to be one of the corniest moments in a Marx Brothers movie (Big Store):



I don't know how this guy was allowed on a movie set. The humming and whistling were truly cringeworthy. And does he have a stunt piano player? Watch his arms dart about when they show him "playing".

I love the Marx Brothers movies, and I think these bits were thrown in for a different kind of laugh.

Wow, this was a surprise!

You Are Tea

You are mellow and reflective. You don't allow yourself to feel in a rush and frenzied. You're likely to appreciated the ideas or connections that come up over a warm cup of tea. While you do enjoy the energy of a caffeine boost, you love that it allows you to take a break. You're not in a rush to do anything. You're content with your life, and in no rush to change it.

Are You Coffee or Tea?

Am I Coffee or Tea? I really didn't have to take this quiz to find out, but when can I ever resist a tea quiz?

What are you?

Believe it or not...

The highlight of my visit to Comic Con NY 2009!

Considering I was under the weather, I was walking on air...okay, this can get really corny so I'd better rein it in. I couldn't find my camera on Saturday; thankfully Tiege had his uber-fantastic Nikon on hand, and also stepped in when I wanted to meet William Katt but turned seriously starstruck. I've gotten tongue-tied before, but this was serious! I suppose this is because 'The Greatest American Hero' was my favorite show as a child, and it still holds a special place in my heart.

Who would reduce you to a polite stammer?

It was all around fun, despite being propelled by sneezes and looking a bit wrecked. I'm home sick today - darn I thought I'd make it through the winter! Anyway, not everyone knows about the comic book nerd in me - actually I mostly watch the cartoon versions, I don't own any comic books, just a few graphic novels. It's just fun, and certainly a release between my thick classical novels and history books. If I could draw at all I'd totally make a Tea Queen comic, but don't expect to see it anytime soon.

I also saw quite a few Batmans, and Nurse Jokers, Ninja Turtles, and enough Storm Troopers to last a decade. Too fun - I'm sure I'll be back next year - hopefully sans Kleenex.

Grabbing a spot of tea

I've seen Tea Spot on Macdougal Street before, but never had a chance to stop in until last week. Even then, I just had a moment, so I only saw the ground floor (apparently there's seating downstairs, will have to have a look at a more convenient time - from the pictures I saw online it actually looks worth a second visit.) I ordered an Oolong, with a name that escapes me as it was long and I was too occupied to jot it down. Anyway, it was a nice cup, and it warmed me right up on a harsh day (most days this winter have been obnoxiously trying).

While waiting on line, which wasn't long, I looked at the other items on offer. There were sandwiches and various kinds of pastry numbers that looked decent enough. The prices were a bit, well, pricey. The lowest price I found on the average cake was $4.50, and it went past $6 for many of them. I don't know. It seems they had Wi-Fi, and enough seating to pass the time. As mentioned before, the downstairs pics were pretty enticing, so I will have to make a return visit, but even so, the prices seemed kind of steep - especially since my personal Macdougal favorite, Caffe Reggio is right down the block. Reggio deserved a post of its own, but suffice it to say that it's the kind of place you can spend hours in without killing your budget, yet still have a nice cappuccino, Italian pastry, or even a good pot of tea amidst a heartbreakingly old school Villagey ambiance.

Still, I'm always happy to see a tea place nearby, and hope it continues to do well. I promise I'll give it one more try, but if anyone reads this and has been there, feel free to further convince me/talk me out of it. The wall of teas behind the counter is persistently nudging my subconscious.

I read wrong...

more animals


Who can guess what I thought when I first read this LOLcat?

Either way, I had to share this particular muffin head.

The Grand Tour

Library, facing the window.



Extreme Close Up! -Fiction



Courtesy of Ikea, the cats have their own tent in my library. So far Zenobia's claimed it.



Can't leave Moofer out! And his tissue.



There you have it. The books, the teapots, the cats. A lot like this blog.

Makeover!

I was staring at my lovely bookshelves at home, and watching (for the umpteenth time) "84 Charing Cross Road". I decided to add to this melange of activity by reorganizing my shelves properly.

So, tons of questions come up as I'm trying to makeover my shelves: Should I separate paperbacks from hardcover? (yes, especially with fiction) What about non-fiction? How many subdivisions should there be? (turns out quite a few: there's the tea section, the histories, biographies, travel, anthologies, cookbooks - though most of those live in the kitchen). Where does poetry fit in? (they're in a class by themselves. Some put them in fiction, but why? When I write poems, they're usually about my life. Is that fiction? No, for the most part.)

Okay, this task should never be commenced at night. Information overload is worse than caffeine when trying to get some shut-eye. I managed to complete the fictions and do the rest the next evening. I have to say, the non-fictions still need work. At some point I simply jumbled a few categories together, because they looked good that way.

All in all, the project turned out well. My library is my running pet project, and has been for the past 3 years. All that's truly missing is my dream chaise lounge, but otherwise it's a pretty complete literary refuge. Photos will follow soon.

Coffee is keeping me up at night...

Not in the expected way. I rarely drink coffee, simply because I can't. I'm only wired for minimal amounts of caffeine, which makes me the ideal tea lover.

The past few days something coffee-related has kept me up well past midnight, despite never having entered my digestive system. Two nights ago I finished the book "The Coffee Trader", which is an historical novel based in Amsterdam during the 17th century. The main character, Miguel, is a Portuguese Jew who fled the Inquisition and has had recent reversals of fortune in the trading industry. He gets involved in the developing coffee trade, so this story is more about the selling of coffee as a commodity than by the cup. Nevertheless, coffee lovers will enjoy the descriptions of those new to the practice of drinking coffee and its effects on them. Normally nothing bores me more than something relating to stock market-type adventures, but there was enough intrigue and redoubtable characters running through the book to make me unable to rest until I'd finished it.

In a related story, I found out about an online game called "Coffee Shop", in which you are the owner of a coffee stand and must try to make as much money as possible and keep a good reputation for 14 days. I'm not a video game player per se, but anyone who knew me during the Tetris years knows that once in a while I get hung up on a game long enough to obsess over it for hours on end. I actually did make some progress, but wasted too much time in the process. I have to say, though, I had a few good laughs. If you make a bad cup of coffee and overcharge, the cartoon buyers will either pour the cup out in disgust or vomit on the sidewalk. The seller in the stand just sits there and holds a finger over the cash register like nothing happened.

I will try to do something tea related tonight; perhaps this will counteract the trivial vigils of this week.

Ice Queen of Astoria

Yes, it's really cold this week. No, I don't like it. Still, it could be worse.

In the morning, when I'm walking to the subway, ears tearing, breathing labored, hat head forming, I try to think of something positive about the weather. It's hard when it's extreme cold. December's coat weather wasn't too bad, because it was possible to be fashionable wintry. Now it's just layer-so-I-don't-get-hypothermia-wear. Not cool, so to speak.

What winter does have over the summer is the tea perks. I baked a good deal in the past week. For the first time ever, I made crumpets - and they were nice! With jam they were pretty special, but with honey I was truly in love. The only drawback was that though they're made on the stove, between waiting 30 minutes for the yeast to take effect and having to cook it in cookie cutters (and I don't have too many of the proper size), it took longer than some baked items. I suppose it was worth the wait. I also found a recipe for lemon blueberry loaf. Next time I'll scale down on the sugar, but otherwise, I have to say it was a sensual experience.

There's nothing like to dead of winter for having the excuse to stay indoors with the furballs and curl up with one of my 81 books for the year. So far, 3 completed. I think we can remedy this...time to put the kettle on!


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Starbucks is courting me...

Starbucks rarely beckons me nowadays, but I did slow down for a moment earlier this week. The sign "Tea Time" is enough to catch my attention, especially in winter.

Just recently Starbucks has offered Tazo tea lattes. I saw about three on offer, though I hesitated earlier this week because I simply don't NEED to buy tea during working hours. Yesterday, though, I thought "why not" and dropped by the one in my work building.

I've been a bit distracted this week, and I think it showed when I tried to make the simple transaction with the barrista. I asked about the new teas, and she said, "did you want London Fog?" Am I that readable? Then while picking up the tea (with 2% milk, I wanted the real thing), this young guy fell in the line of my dizzy fire. He politely said, "sorry if I skipped you?", which he hadn't, so I said, "what?" and then it sank in that he was being polite so I tried to explain my slowness by saying, "sorry, I'm uncaffeinated at the moment" and he said "what?" and I said "what?", and he gave me the "you are weird" look and left. I don't know, crowded places just get to me. Moving on...

So I sipped London Fog back at work, and was surprisingly pleased. It's a lavender Earl Grey, with vanilla and milk. It smells and tastes slightly perfumey, but with a nice creamy touch. It's sweetened just enough to not be overwhelming. It's a contradiction in my normal tea tastes, in that normally I cringe when I see someone adding milk to Earl Grey. Pulled together, though, it was more of a treat. It didn't actually remind me of London though: maybe an English garden, not the city. I would have named it Zenobia:



I'm sure I'll try the other flavors in the near future: a lady at work gave me a coupon for them that can be used every Tuesday.

Though I love true tea, without extra flavor or sweetener, there's always room in my heart for such concoctions.

Books!Books!Books! End of 2008

I have quite a reading year ahead of me. I joined the 999 Challenge, which means attempting to read 9 books in 9 characters in 2009. I started already, reasoning that as long as I FINISH the book in 09 it counts. Besides, I've barely cracked 60 this year, so I need all the help I can get. By the way, that doesn't mean I read less. Between Middlemarch, Bleak House and a number of other mammoth-sized books, I've held my own. Joining the challenge, though, is more fun than work for me. It's a great way to keep organized, and to finally tackle all the TBRs piling up at home. I'm rubbing my hands with excitement! I can totally face a cold, bleak NY for the next few months - and it's a relatively cheap undertaking, since I don't have to further pay for these books. I'm stocked.

Without going nuts, here's a summary of a few books that have kept good company with me through this rather tumultuous part of 2008:

Devil's Brood, by Sharon Kay Penman

I waited years for this one. It's been some time since its predecessor Time and Chance came out - was I even blogging yet? I don't know. Anyway, it's the long saga of Henry II of England, his wife the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine, and all their sons. If Henry VIII had issues due to lack of sons, Henry II had his troubles resulting from a surfeit of strapping young men, all eager to take on their inheritance while resenting the control of their capable but clueless father. It's hard to side with anyone. Penman manages to make nearly everyone sympathetic, in a less sappy way than Jean Plaidy did in her many historical novels (though I still love her). DB went on forever, but I still felt reluctant to leave the early Plantagenets at that point. What happens next? Well, I know what happens, but I want to hear it, or read it, from Penman's mouth, or, well...pen.


John Lennon: The Life by Philip Norman

Another massive, massive chunky book. Backache Backache! Also, another subject I'm well versed in but don't mind reading about once again. Thankfully it was well researched and neither gushy nor nasty. There's only two things I wasn't crazy about: the author seemed to enjoy stomping on George Harrison's legacy, claiming all his inspiration was derived from Lennon. Now I wasn't there, but even if it was, it's just not nice. Also, delving into John's Aunt Mimi's love life was a little uncalled for. TMI!!! I did NOT need to know that. I'm sure some people love that kind of in-depth analysis, so they can have it. I'd leave it.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

I'd heard that if you liked 84 Charing Cross Road then I had to read this one. Yeah, sort of. This book, of course, is fictional and isn't just about books. Basically a writer develops a correspondence with a group of people on the Channel Islands, who experienced Nazi occupation during World War II. She becomes really intrigued by their story, and the nature of their forming a literary group, and the story goes from there. It was the book I read while in Florida, so I guess this counts as my beach read of the year.

I could go on, but I kinda feel like diving into the 2009 books.

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Melt those hearts!

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