Random Food Tidbits
Lynne, who sits at a desk behind me at work maybe once or twice a week, has the title "Merchandising Executive Chef." I'm pretty sure she used to be in a different department, back when PCC Cooks was under the umbrella of Marketing. Now PCC Cooks is under the "Strategy" department, even though four of its six positions are PCC Cooks positions (the other two: VP of Strategy and Growth, and Business Analyst), and, for some reason, Executive Chef is now part of Merchandising. I should ask Lynne about this sometime; I only just now gleaned these details from the office staff list, trying to find Lynne's official title. Anyway, she's really cool, and not just because she gleefully shared wine at Sara W's going-away party at Myrtle Edwards Park in May.
Last week she brought in homemade cherry jam made from her neighbor's cherry tree. It's delicious. I had some on a bagel as part of my dinner last night, bagels from two packs I got as samples from work last week as well. I really do save a fair amount on grocery costs just by working here, come to think of it.
In addition to that, I had half of the leftover salad from the dinner we had the night before. No cocktail, no dessert. This proved to be a good strategy: my weight was back down this morning to where it had been Tuesday morning. Good for me! I suppose I should also be careful today, since Shobhit and I are going to a Braeburn Condos Community Barbecue this evening on the roof of the west building. There will no doubt be way too much food to graze on there. Even for vegetarians. We really don't live in a world anymore where events like that don't think to offer vegetarian options. Not in Seattle, anyway.
So many things really are better than they used to be. On the one hand, we get President Fuckwit, possibly topping the entirety of American democracy. On the other hand, more vegetarian options. It all evens out!
We watched Paddington 2. Honestly I'm not sure why the response to that one was so much greater than the first one -- it was similarly simple in its worldview and offered the same kinds of delights. I would argue that the two movies are of roughly equal quality, although both Hugh Grant and Brendan Gleeson being added to the cast were inspired choices. It did get pretty funny once Paddington was sent to prison. (That said: ten years for burglary? This movie is so unrealistic!) I suppose I'll acknowledge that it did get a couple of pretty hard laughs out of Shobhit, whereas the first one was more of a consistent chuckle. Also, it probably makes a difference that the critics who loved Paddington 2 so much likely had not just watched the first one, and were simply even more charmed by its refreshing difference from pretty much everything else in theatres. Seeing the first one only one day before the second one likely slightly dampened that effect on watching the second one, in my case. I still say that if they do make a third one, I will go see that one in theatres.
Then we went to Trader Joe's to get a few needed vegetables, in preparation for having Lynn and Zephyr over for dinner this Saturday. We're hosting dinners two weekends in a row this month: them this weekend, and then Morgan's 14th birthday dinner on Friday the 27th. There will be a lot of prep and cooking to do. Shobhit always overdoes these things, but maybe not really: they tend to yield a lot of leftovers for our lunches as well, so there's that.
By the way, all the hot young men shop at the Capitol Hill Trader Joe's. Apparently that's a rule.
I just had my lunch at the table in the middle of the staff dining room, for the first time not eating out on the deck in I don't remember when. (It was probably two weeks ago or something.) Although the high today is supposed to be 73° -- to my mind, perfect Seattle summer weather -- at present it remains cloudy and all of 60°. That's a little chilly for eating outside. If the sun were shining it would be different.
Then, when I was done, I saw Claudia preparing her lunch. "Is that Swiss cheese?" I asked. She said yes; I said it's my favorite cheese. "You want a slice?" she asked. "Yeah!" I said. "I could eat a block of that like an apple." Then she said, "Well here, take two." She had quite the stash.
And then I found some crackers in the Merchandising pantry to eat with it.
Have I mentioned how much I love working here?
[posted 12:23 pm]