W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> Moi, Toi, et VoI: March 2008

Monday, March 31, 2008

OMG I am so Boring I Can Hardly Stand Myself.

My blogging skills are getting rusty with these mega-hiatuses I have been taking lately. But I've been swamped and am plagued with typhoid/dystentery/tb - something that has been making me cough incessantly for the past two weeks. SFG says I should go to the doctor. I figure I'll give it another week before I succomb to such sage advice.

I'll bullet point for brevity's sake.

  • I'm heading off to Hotlanta for a Dessert Con next week, which should be fun.
  • I am seriously considering some stuff for my cat. Thanks Martha! Molly specifically says Thanks A Lot, Martha.
  • SFG and I are going out for Afghan food tonight.
  • Madame Mimolette and I have combined our talents for a cheese/wine pairing at Anthropologie for First Friday this week. You should stop by and sample our wares.
If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

posted by Oy Vey at 1:46 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Website of the Day.

This is so cool. You can even feed her diet pills.

And in a totally unrelated sidenote that for some twisted reason I need to share...

The Bassoonist slipped on an Amish girl's period blood on the bathroom floor at The Circus today.

Please don't think any worse of me letting you in on that.

posted by Oy Vey at 6:21 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 24, 2008

Review: Toccanelli's Pizza

When the moon hits your eye, you go insane and wait for two hours for your pie.

Forgive my lack of iambic pentameter, but SFG and I went to the famous Toccanelli's on Saturday night. And while it was good, it definitely wasn't worth the hype.

Let's reduce it down to pros and cons. Otherwise I may ramble because I'm working on my second St. Germain gin & tonic.

Pros:
Perfect, Chicago-style thin crust from a wood burning stove.

Delicious, tangy lovely tomato sauce.

A pizza place in Philly you can actually sit down and be served in.

BYO.

Cons:
You must reserve your dough. Yes, your dough, not your table. Which means you must know exactly how many pizzas you would like days before you go. When I called to reserve my dough four days early, I asked for one dough for the two of us. I thought better of it on Saturday afternoon after reading the reviews, and called to see if I could get one more dough so we could try out a couple of flavors. Nope! Sorry! We're all sold out of dough. You can only have one dough. You'd think after being in business 40 odd years or so you'd get a sense of how much dough you need to make in a night.

There is one guy making the pizzas. The owner, apparently. He is the only one who can put the sauce and the toppings on the pizza and put it in the oven. Control freak.

Only one pizza can be put in the oven at a time. I am not joking. Hence the two hour wait for our pepperoni, sausage and basil pie, which I must admit was quite delicious.

Verdict
Go once in your life. Be prepared to wait. Bring plenty of booze to help. Think of the experience as the ultimate in Philly Charm.

posted by Oy Vey at 8:15 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Be Green.

Go black.

posted by Oy Vey at 6:29 PM 0 comments

Monday, March 17, 2008

Who Woulda Thought?

Over the past three months, Molly had developed a nasty habit of peeing on the tile steps away from her litter box. I'd tried numerous litters, behavioral techniques I'd researched on the internets, and was ready to call the vet (I was convinced it was something physiologically grave; SFG insisted it was psychological), when I had an aha! moment and realized that the peeing may coincide with the purchase of a new, hoodless litterbox. And some cats are, apparently, finicky about their toilettes. So, I switched back to the old Booda Dome, and lo and behold! she's back to doing all of her business in the appropriate place.

***
I went out for drinks tonight with some of SFG's old co-workers. Little did I know he was the Jim Halpern/Tim Canterbury of his techy office off of South Street: velcroing the phone together, switching up the keys on people's keyboards, and building the Chicago skyline out of waste basket paper on some poor soul's desk. I love that boy.

posted by Oy Vey at 8:42 PM 0 comments

Friday, March 14, 2008

The Young and the Restless.

Hello Patient Readers.

Here's the word.

On Monday, I asked the Canary person with the negative chi about the safe situation.

Me: The safe was left open on Friday night. So-and-so said you came after she left to get your paycheck.
Them: I don't know. Maybe I did. I don't care.
Me: [Pause] Well, I think we are going to agree that you're going to give me your two week notice today.
Them: Great! Because I was going to quit on Friday anyway.
Me: Ok, good. We're on the same page.

....an hour later....

Them: I don't think I can stay here any longer.
Me: Why?
Them: Because it's just going to be awkward here.
Me: I don't think so. The worst, more awkward part is over. You weren't happy here, and I haven't been happy with you lately, so it's fine. The tense part is over.
Them: But I wanted to be the one to quit.
Me: Well...sorry...?
Them: And now you're making me quit and I can't even collect unemployment now!!
Me: Well...I'll fire you if you want....?
Them: This isn't fair! I wanted to quit! And I'm not coming back.
Me: Well, ok. It's your decision, but you're certainly welcome to stay for the next two weeks and make some money.
Them: I just can't.

Exit Them Stage Left.....

And can I just tell y'all how much less tense things are at work now? The whole vibe is brighter among everyone. And I feel like this huge weight has been lifted, the dark cloud gone. I no longer feel ever so slightly paranoid and slightly cornered in my shop. And it feels damn good.

****
And in other news, the fabulous S was in New York for the week, and she kindly muled me two very super posh bottles of Scotch all the way from Scotland. So I hopped on that trusty Chinatown bus and went up to pay her a quick visit. Feel better, poor thing!

I think I may dip into one tonight. To celebrate my new found freedom!

posted by Oy Vey at 12:54 PM 3 comments

Sunday, March 09, 2008

Back From the Dead.

I have returned. The last eight days plus I have been dealing with the Philadelphia Flower Show, the largest convention the city hosts every year. With over 300,000 attendees let loose from institutions and exurbs around the globe, Flower Show week is by far the most lucrative, the busiest, and most insane time for every vendor, great and small, at The Circus.

So anyway, I've been stressed out beyond belief. Incapable of sleeping, sitting still, much less blogging for the past two weeks, I've been an absolute wreck. Too much to do! So little time! Must make money! What if I don't? What if I don't have enough eggs f0r the weeked? What if I run out of kitchen sink brownies? What if? What if? Whaaat if????

Meanwhile, I've been dealing with staff issues and I'm sorry to say, going to have to do some housecleaning at The Canary. Things have gotten off track, and it's time I finally do what I've needed to do for a long time (and what many people have said I should have done long ago) and stop the bad work-related chi that has been a subtext at The Canary for a while. Without getting into detail, let's just say some serious sloppiness has occurred, which indicates to me that this person know longer wishes to work here. And leaving the safe with $2000 in it wide open on a Friday night is definite evidence of that. I really dread doing it, but it must be done, and really folks, that makes me sad.

On the other hand, a fresh, new change of pace just might be what I need to rejuvenate my Canary spirit. Because right now I am so tired I just ain't feelin' it.

And no, no word from Martha yet either.

I have finished babbling.

posted by Oy Vey at 10:36 PM 1 comments

Sunday, March 02, 2008

Good Omen, Common Coincidence, or Harbinger of...???

Someone came by today to buy cupcakes for Arthamay Ewartstay's sister. For her birthday. Freaky weird, right?

posted by Oy Vey at 7:04 PM 2 comments