(no subject)

[rivendellrose]

*Blinks stupidly at computer and world* Wheeeeeee.

Had an absolutely wonderful night last night, out on the town with zinjadu and her dad, shadawyn, nekokoban, theladyfeylene, and chasdini. We went to Ocean Air(e?) downtown and had many hours of wonderful conversation over a ton of amazing food - mussels, oysters and dungeness crabcakes for appetizers, green beans, risotto, and au gratin potatoes as the family style sides, with everyone passing around bits of our main dishes (mine was jumbo tiger shrimp scampi and ooooohhhhh was it good). Mineral water with citrus (mmmm), very good white wine, single malt scotch (oh dear god that stuff is good and scary at the same time).

The waiter brought four desserts for us to split - Bananas Foster spice cake, strawberry shortcake, chocolate mousse, and this... thing with chocolate cake soaked (and I mean soaked) in bourbon with a tower of strawberry ice cream and what tasted like marshmellow cream over it, doused in more bourbon and lit on fire. Wow. Huge ice cream cake dessert thing en flambee right in front of me. The spice cake and the scotch went really well together, but I was most proud of thinking to break up pieces of the citrus remaining from the mineral water and put it in the scotch. That was a good way to get the stuff down. And then two cups of very good coffee, because at that point I was giggling like an idiot schoolgirl... oh wait........

In any case, lots of marvelous conversation was had in between us oooing and ahhhing over the food, and I'm still pondering the wisdom of Mr Greenswag's injunctions to "avoid mediocrity." It's certainly a good challenge for this day and age, but I must admit, as Charlie pointed out a few times during the meal, it's awfully hard to feel mediocre while being spoiled absolutely rotten on that kind of food and the sort of pleasantly fawning attention the waiters were pouring on us. Bit more difficult to avoid it in the daily life where damned if I don't just want to shout "go 'way!" at everything in the world and curl up with a notebook and some tea and music. ;)

Today, my battle with mediocrity consists of.... trying to write my gods-damned thesis. And perhaps taking a little break somewhere in there to hit the farmer's market and/or street fair, depending on how the writing goes.

Comments

[narsilion.livejournal.com]

It sounds like quite an evening was had by all! I haven't had scotch in a very long time, but hmmmm...it sounds yummy with the pieces of citrus in it. Avoiding mediocrity...I suppose that I would probably be the poster child for that talk, I'm trying to be better though.
Glad you all had a good time.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

I don't think you'd at all be the poster child for that.

[llhinkle.livejournal.com]

1. Scotch. I have only had scotch once in my life. I bought a bottle of good scotch, had one glass and gave the rest away because although at the time I was consuming ridiculous amounts of tequila with seemingly no long lasting effects I determined that if I had more scotch I would become an alcoholic because it was just. too. good.

2. Food that is set on fire at your table is always good, but desserts doubly so. There's nothing quite so paganly delicious as food set ablaze.

3. Mediocrity of spirit is avoidable. Mediocrity of dinner is unavoidable unless you are wealthy. Sometimes you're going to have to settle for watery tea and a cheese sandwich or else give up your education and become an oil baron.

4. The combination of intelligent conversation and good food (particularly good food on fire) is absolute nirvana...you lucky thing!

5. Thesis. yes. I'm working on one too. Whats yours?

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

1. I was not quite so enamored of scotch as I am of some other alcohols - I think it's just a little too strong for me. I'm not much of a person for the really really hard stuff, but it was quite an experience.

2. It really is a viceral, pagan sort of pleasure. There's a deep-rooted association between fire and companionship, food, and spirituality that I don't think anything else can really compare to.

3. And yet, even the crust of bread and watered down tea can be read in the mind as a dramatic, martyred sort of fast for betterment, if you have a particular way of looking at it. It's like how little kids always love reading stories about horrible adversity - it's a feast for the spirit, in a twisted way.

4. Completely so. Part of heaven ought to be an endless banquet with good conversation whenever you want it.

5. *Twitches* I'm writing on the narrative function of the various races and groups in The Lord of the Rings. Basically looking at how each race fulfils different functions and brings out different themes in the over all structure of the story. It's an absolute nightmare, and I go back and forth between panicking that it's too damned big, and thinking it's too damned small to fill my page quota. What about you?

[llhinkle.livejournal.com]

that sounds fun! I am doing an unknown 19th century Irish Catholic author who I am contending was forgotten because of her religious/ethnic background even though her stuff was more widely read at the time and similar to the work of Louisa May ALcott. Lots of scary primary research.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Ooo, that sounds really interesting! Lots of researching into newspapers and journals of the time, trying to figure out the critical reception of the novels, I bet.

At the moment, I'm just hoping I survive to turning this damned thing in, and then that my thesis advisor doesn't think I've completely lost all touch with writing ability - I'm not feeling hugely on with this thing at the moment, but it needs to get finished so that she can go over it, and then I can edit, and then hopefully be done.

[llhinkle.livejournal.com]

Its a bit overwhelming at times. But I plug away a little at a time and hope in the end it all makes sense.

[gurny.livejournal.com]

I am glad to hear you had such a fun night!

Now back to cleaning out the garage :-/

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Eeww. Sounds like your day is likely to be just as fun-filled as mine. ;)

[gurny.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping things will take a turn for the better later :)