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My allergies are really bad. The mucus rave has been going on for over 2 weeks. "Hey, keep it down in there!" I can't breathe, I'm coughing and generally feeling like crap.
While there could be a proliferation of mites and roach poo, August to October is ragweed season. Mid-September is the worst. Further, this season has been the worst in a long time due to global warming. "Global climate change is believed to be making ragweed season worse for allergy sufferers. Recent studies suggest that increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide levels are already resulting in longer ragweed seasons and more concentrated pollen counts (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/117454.php)." See, I now take it personally that Palin would not do anything about global warming.
So, I've been doubling down. Sinus rinse and gargle in the morning and night have staved off a sinus infection (I now realize that it wasn't a sinus infection but really bad allergies). Two Claritins during the day, 2 Benedryls at night. I even threw in a Zyrtec for good measure. Zicam nasal gel as often as possible. I actually slept really well last night and had minimal snottage.
Doris says that allergy shots are the way to go. Guess I'm off to the allergist as well.
I was on res staff with I back at Wellesley and we had lost touch until a month or so ago when I bumped into her in Chelsea. I've always loved I's sunny disposition - brought all the way from San Diego. It was really great to catch up.While I had a very lovely carrot ginger soup (one of my favorites) and shrimp and boston lettuce roll, Rock Center Cafe is pretty much a tourist trap. Our hostess was surly but our server was great. It was nice to eat outside.
With all this talk about new sushi restaurants (Yellowtail and Archipelago), I was reminded of my other thought, the dwindling population of fish. How can all of these sushi places be supplied?
A quick Google brought me to Sushi Otaku's blog, "The toll that modern fishing techniques, equipment and attitudes are taking on the sea is astounding. I have written many times about the plight of the Bluefin Tuna, but many other species such as Cod, Swordfish, the Patagonian Toothfish (Chilean Sea Bass), and even many species of shark are all in gave danger of disappearing from the waters that once sustained them. Pollution, climate changes, and over fishing are all contributing on what seems to be a war against these creatures who are unable to protect themselves from man...While many people have been calling for a boycott of various fish that are in extreme danger, this will punish all fishermen equally and not effectively solve the problem of groups that essentially fish with malice. In order to keep a fish population healthy, a complete ban is not necessary (or even possible), however a strong push towards sustainable fishing will ensure a species survival. Large trawlers will decimate a species, with collateral damage to others, and will quickly empty an area of life. Quotas can be based on incorrect data, or even ignored. Sustainable hook and line fishing, however, will actually ensure that a species won’t be over fished (you just can’t catch enough fish with that method to ruin the population), and will actually produce a better product. If you have ever seen a comparison of a fish caught in a trawler with a fish caught with a hook and line, you would want to eat the hooked fish without question, and you would gladly pay more for the privilege. It sounds easy, but the only way for sustainable fishing to become common practice is if consumers ask for it. Your fishmonger may not know if the fish he sells originates from one source or the other, but if enough people ask, he will start to ask his suppliers. The information will move through the supply chain, and if fishermen begin to realize that consumers will only buy fish caught by sustainable practices, it may start a positive chain of events. "
I'm not much a fish eater, more other sea creatures like crustaceans and mollusks but it does seem to me that our fishes are in danger. So, hook and line, baby, hook and line.
My foodie co-worker just got back from a whirlwind Vegas trip of sun, food, and partying. She said that the food at Yellowtail Sushi was amazing and posed with Chef Akira Back (from Morimoto and Nobu). She and P also ran into Bobby Flay. We all know what I think of him but at the end of the day, the man can cook. Thanks for sharing, E!
I just found out yesterday that another one of my friends is pregnant. And M, in a drunken state did a double take at the wedding at an old friend who is very petite and about 10 days away from giving birth. M exclaimed with arms outstretched, "Whoa...WHOA!" at the size of her belly. Although I've tried to believe what people were telling me, that this was just because my friends have reached child bearing age, I think there's more to it. My department has had over 20 births in the past 2 years with more to come. I feel like I see pregnant women all the time. I have been meaning to do some research to see if there was truth in my observations and...We are experiencing a boomlet (it is a boomlet because it is only a single digit increase instead of a double digit increase). According to a July story in USA Today, "A record number of babies were born in the USA in 2007, according to early federal data...The last time the number was this high was in 1957, in the middle of the baby boom years; about 78 million Americans were born from 1946 to 1964. Demographers have been monitoring gradual increases in recent years; data for 2006, which won't be made final until September, show a 3% increase over 2005. That's the largest single-year increase since 1989. The same report also showed births becoming more common in nearly every age and racial or ethnic group. Birth rates increased for women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, not just teens. They rose for whites, blacks, Hispanics, American Indians and Alaska Natives. The rate for Asian women stayed about the same." In my quick research, the rise in births has resulted in a growth in industries that provide products and services to children and their parents. We've seen that in all the cool new gadgets and doodads and maternity wear and gear. But, it triggers the Economics part of my brain and I wonder about scarcity and the increased competition for resources. Is there a way to time one's pregnancy such that their child is born in a "lull", where there is a better child to teacher ratio and my kid can easily be class president? "The boomlet will likely continue because the population of women in their childbearing years - between 15 and 44 - is expected to increase by 1 percent annually through 2040, Spar said." Those numbers could be affected by all kinds of things, the economy, immigration, laws, etc.So, there's no way to "time" it, at least not before 2040. And there is something to be said about the country as a whole perhaps focusing for the first time in a long time on its children just because there are so many. The young vote has people focused on what young people think. This is just another reminder of what is at stake and how we need to create a better world for our children and raise them in such a way that they continue to make the world better for their children.
The newlyweds are on their way to Greece and M is taking care of Kobe, their 240 lb German Shepherd.
Yes, I got an issue of Forbes Life - Executive Woman in the mail today. I'm really excited to read it. There's a list of the 100 Highest Paid Women in Corporate America. Pretty awesome.
One of my favorite ways to spend an evening is walking around in a favorite neighborhood on a cool fall night, seeing what's new and what's still around, checking out a new restaurant and being with really great people. It was my sweet W's birthday and I wanted to take her and her boyfriend T to a new place, Bar Q. T invited his roommate D and he happened to be dating a Wellesley girl I know! She is very cute, sweet and smart. I'm very happy for them. And to make it a further small world, D had gone to high school where I went for the NJ Scholar's Program. We actually know a few of the same people. D was great and is actually as obsessed with the Greyhound stabbing and beheading as I am!
The chef/ owner of Bar Q is Anita Lo, a really terrific Asian lesbian chef. "She was one of Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chefs in 2001 and went on to defeat Mario Batali on Iron Chef America in 2004. Crain's New York Business lists her as one of 100 Most Influential Women in NYC Business. " I had eaten at Annisa twice last year and while I loved the experience and the food, it was a bit on the pricey side. I'm also less of an entree girl and more tapas, family style so Bar Q is a great new addition to my beloved Bleeker St.
The service was cheery and helpful, interior was white, modern and comfortable. Another thing I like about Anita's restaurants is the low music. I know it makes me sound old but I like to yap and hear what others are saying. The table was "Mmmmm'g" all night. The Lobster with fresh rice noodle spring roll was amazing. The lobster was perfectly cooked, not chewy. It was really light and flavorful. I could've eaten 10 more. They enjoyed the pork belly with steamed buns and baby back ribs. The tea smoked Long Island duck was really good - many exclaimed the best duck they've ever had. I loved the sticky rice with Chinese sausage side (M would LOVE it) and the stir fried Chinese broccoli. Although I would've loved to have had the chilled coconut soup or almond panna cotta, they had dairy so I had a bite of W's birthday cake. It was a warm carrot ginger cake and sooooooo good. I LOVE warm cake. It was really wonderful.
This has been quite a morning. As someone at our firm put it, we are witnessing a wedding (Bank of America and Merrill Lynch), funeral (Lehman Brothers), and hospital vigil (A.I.G.). The credit crises is claiming its victims and the hope is that we are starting to bottom out.Although BofA and Merrill just started talks on Saturday, combined they will be quite a strong presence on Wall St. As for Lehman, while I am pained for my friends still there, I'm so glad to not have to deal with the mess and in many ways have come out ahead. Admittedly, I had a very rough time there and had questions about the management and culture. It is not a surprise to me that this is the largest bankruptcy filing in history. Lastly, my dear friend is at A.I.G. but it looks like the Fed and many others including Gov. Paterson are working hard to prop up one of the world's largest insurance companies.These are interesting times indeed.
Of all the transportation options, I prefer taking Amtrak to visit M. 1) I hate driving: especially long distances, especially when I get pulled over for speeding and especially when there are other dumb fools clogging up the road. 2) I hate the bus: its not dependable, it also gets caught in traffic, really weird people accompanied by their weirder smells are on the bus, the stabbing and beheading thing, and the bus that is dependable doesn't stop at my stop in MD so M would have to drive on to DC to pick me up and drop me off. 3) fly? It'll take longer to get to the airport, go through security, wait, get delayed, get cancelled, land, taxi, get home from the airport.
While it is really expensive and has its share of personalities and fumes, I both look forward to and have anxiety about my train rides. I look forward to them because of the roomy, comfy seats, the 3 hours of reading trashy magazines, articles and whatever book I'm working on, and catching up on my phone calls. I have anxiety about finding the right seat but I've learned a few things along the way.
- Don't sit in front of a guy or a tall woman. Although there is more leg room than on a bus, it seems like they need more leg room and will prevent your chair from reclining. Although, my last trip, there was a girl who propped her knees on the back of my chair.
- Sit near a cranky looking lady, she will most likely shush people. Sure, you can't talk on your phone but you don't really want to hear other people's inane conversations.
- Don't sit near people yapping to each other - especially teenage or college girls. There are so many "oh, my god!" and singing along outloud to the iPod that I can take.
- Sit near someone with headphones on, quietly reading or watching a movie.
- If you don't get a good seat at first, look around at each stop and move until you are perfectly situated.
- Realize that you'll never have the perfect seat so pack ear plugs, your own iPod, food, reading and cell phone charger.
Breathe and repeat, "At least I'm not driving or on the bus. At least I'm not driving or on the bus..."
