frying dough

Someone once made the comment that my friends and I need little reason to have a potluck. This is true. On Saturday night, some friends and I got together "Just Because..." The theme was Mexican and I brought tamales. We had a ton of food and drinks and made churros for dessert. Deep fried dough rolled in sugar and cinnamon. No wonder they were a big hit!

the 951

Okay, the heat is finally getting to me. At work today, I felt so nauseated that I suspected I had food poisoning caused by the Subway sandwich I had for lunch. I was already doubled over in pain from severe cramps (sorry, guys), but I had a job to do. Near the end of a fairly busy day, I was talking to my boss in her office when I started seeing everything in an intense bright light. Then everything sounded muffled for about 10 seconds. I excused myself and went to the restroom where I broke into an intense sweat. My clothes were drenched and I removed them to cool down. I felt better after about 5 minutes and came out to talk to the girls in the office. I don't think they've ever seen me like that. My face looked gray, I was so pale. My boss told me to go home and to grab a Coke on the way. I've heard of 7-up or ginger ale for an upset stomach, but Coke? She said there is something in the syrup and that as kids, her mother used to give them pure Coke syrup when they had upset stomachs. Yeah yeah, spare me the old wives' tales.

Actually, a Coke didn't sound like a bad idea. I stopped at the In-N-Out drive thru and ordered a large. This is Huge for 2 reasons. 1. I Never go to In-N-Out. I have nothing against them, I just don't eat burgers. 2. I Rarely drink soda. Maybe once every 2 months, if even that. I did feel a lot better on my way home. I think I had a mild case of heat exhaustion. I need to adapt. Going forward, I will increase my water intake and refrain from napping in my car on a day where the high is 107 degrees F.

food coma

Sleeping late, waking up early, and overeating made for a sleepy weekend. On Saturday night, my friends and I went to see "Fantastic Four" at ArcLight Cinemas in Hollywood. It was my first time at this theater. I appreciated the assigned seating when we arrived late and still had good seats all together, but was sad that we missed the very beginning of the movie because they do not show previews. For dinner, we Korean tofu at BCD Tofu House. It was a very pleasant dining experience. I had the dumpling tofu soup in a stone pot and did not burn myself :).

On Saturday, I watched the kiddies at church, went to service, and then attended a BBQ/pool party. I ate too much and afterwards was so . . . very . . . tired. I met up with my friends and, after lounging on the couch, went out for dinner. Yikes! I was already stuffed. Benitos Taco Shop has good fish tacos, but I was only able to eat one. I'm happy to be alive to tell the story.


the food that did me in, minus dessert

the bay area

I spent the weekend in the bay area. My plane arrived late Saturday morning and I hit the ground shooting. My cousin and I met up with a friend at the gun range. This time we shot pistols at 15 yards. We started with a .45 caliber 1911 and a 9mm Glock. Our friend said we shot better than most police officers. We also tried a .22 caliber pistol, which had very little recoil and felt like shooting a potato gun. Still, I was told that .22s are often used by the mob. Most of their shots are done at close range and .22s have good penetration. The bullets can pierce through the back of someone's skull without coming out the front. The bullet may just rattle around in there. "Leave the gun, bring the canolis."

I spent the rest of the weekend eating, playing tennis, and hanging out with friends and family. Good eats included: El Amigo burrito on Saturday night--a comfort food of sorts, lunch with friends at Hunan Homes, my cousin's brunch (see pics below), and barbeque on Monday night. I flew home after the BBQ. Some passengers on the plane saw fireworks out below, but I was stuck in an aisle seat :(. At least my flight arrived on time.


pimms, smoked salmon/herb cheese scramble, and currant scones


very berry cheesecake