sundries

[rm]

To say that it's been a slightly odd couple of days vastly understates the case.

So productive this morning. Picked up my dress shirts (I oddly love this ritual; I love all my shirts hanging in a neat, lightest to darkest little row. They are a window on a little bit of neatness and a life not quite mine), picked up the prescription cat food, brought other stuff to the dry cleaners, am doing work, etc. Need to do a whole lot of documents and hit the post office later, but so far, productive.

This weekend, Governors Island, so they'll be a bit of a grocery trip later.

I need to express, once again, my deep love for Varsano's Chocolates here in the city. First, best marzipan I've ever had, and this includes the now closed place of my childhood that had been in business making marzipan since 1927 and the marzipan I had in Sicily. Second, the guy who owns and runs it gives Patty and I lots of free samples. Third, he's conversant with celiac disease and can always answer my questions. Fourth, he takes customer requests (I'm going to ask him if I bring him gluten-free pretzels if he'll make them chocolate covered for me!). Fifth, we were listless and low-blood sugar last night and didn't know where to have dinner and after some marzipan, a jordan cracker and a chocolate raspberry jelly marshmallow we were once again capable of making decisions.

My childhood was filled with merchants we had relationships with: butchers and bakers and tailors and candymakers, and it's something you know I miss, nearly constantly in my life. From the folks at Duchess to the the wonder of Varsano's my life isn't just filled with beautiful things, it's just, simply, better.

I need to take a moment to say something. When someone comes out to you about or discusses an experience that they have, whether that's being gay or trans or multiracial or religious or WHATEVER, the appropriate response is not all about how you don't understand and can't relate to the experience but you'll try to be supportive anyway, because newsflash, it's not about you. The appropriate response is to declare your support first. In the scheme of all the crazy out there, it's a minor and almost always well-intentioned thing, but it's also a big peeve.

What's more embarrassing: reading a Torchwood tie-in novel on the subway or a book that declares itself on the cover "a m/m romance"?

Yes, I was reading an m/m romance on the train. It's quite decent really, but as someone who doesn't really read the romance genre, I'm experiencing slow death by metaphor.

From the department of crazy and upsetting: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/russia/5445161/Russia-accuses-Poland-of-starting-Second-World-War.html via wordweaverlynn.

Comments

[kurometarikku.livejournal.com]

Are you doing the zombie thing on Governor's Island on Sunday?

[rm.livejournal.com]

No, we're actually going to the Jazz-Age picnic that's the same day. But Patty loves zombies, so we're going to seek them out, definitely.

[humascot97.livejournal.com]

reading a Torchwood tie-in novel on the subway or a book that declares itself on the cover "a m/m romance"?
Oooh, which book is this and should I track it down?

[count-to-seven.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to go with neither being embarrassing, unless the m/m novel cover featured two shirtless and sculpted men in kilts clutching each other in the moonlight.

What prescription cat food do you use?

[these-3-remain.livejournal.com]

"I need to take a moment to say something. When someone comes out to you about an experience that they have whether that's being gay or trans or multiracial or religious or WHATEVER. The appropriate response is not all about how you don't understand and can't relate to the experience but you'll try to be supportive anyway, because newsflash, it's not about you. The appropriate response is to declare your support first. In the scheme of all the crazy out there, it's a minor and almost always well-intentioned thing, but it's also a big peeve."

Thank you. Yes. I need to remember this (so I don't end up making someone else's life All About Me) and I also need to remember when someone does it to me that they probably haven't ever been schooled on My Life is NOT All About You.

[brewsternorth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I saw wordweaverlynn's own post, and it really brought home quite how screwed-over Poland was at the time of WWII. Funnily enough, I knew a tiny bit about the history *not* because of my "Hitler and the Henries" learnings, but through reading Robert Harris's "Enigma" where Katyn is actually a plot point.

[19-crows.livejournal.com]

Varsano's sounds terrific and I'll try to get there next time we visit the cousins in Brooklyn. Marzipan is one of those love it/hate it things, don't you think? And I love it too. I usually eat it in the form of Ritter Sport's choc covered marzipan bars.

I'm laughing at the juxtaposition of Jazz-age picnic and zombies.

[amand-r.livejournal.com]

I worked in a dry cleaners for 6 years, and I was the shirt bagger. I'll tell you what-- there are few things more satisfying than putting those hangers together, sometimes using the cape (I think the capes bend the collars, myself), and the pulling the plastic down.

Oh, and using the dress shirt boxer (lay out on the board, flip the lever, turn the machine upside down, fold the sleeves flip again, bag) is bliss. I just kind of want to work there again.

Wow, this was like porn, in a way. Sorry. XD

[stardragonca.livejournal.com]

Having personal relationships with merchants and others(librarian,police,people who raise or grow your food,etc) is one of the GOOD things about living in the toolies, and is one of the many reasons I will always hate Walmart with an unmeasured passion not ameniable to reason.

[tsarina.livejournal.com]

Your description of Varsano's Chocolates makes me cry with envy. Now I am craving marzipan and oh sweet lord a chocolate raspberry jelly marshmallow? Heavens.

The summer that I left Alan, all I read were m/m romance novels and listened to goth rock. It was good.

[hakeber.livejournal.com]

They have a website.

http://www.varsanos.com/

They do mail order and ship!

I must order some marzipan. I love the stuff, and good ones are so hard to find.

[coriander.livejournal.com]

The appropriate response is to declare your support first. In the scheme of all the crazy out there, it's a minor and almost always well-intentioned thing, but it's also a big peeve.

Ahh, good to know! I always feel like I have to defend myself first, then give my thesis. So, good reminder to state the thesis first. ;)

[misswinterhill.livejournal.com]

I've always thought it was probably more embarrassing to read a book with one of those colours made out of novelty quilting cotton. They sell them at romance bookshops so that you can disguise your latest bodice-ripper with a pattern of purple and metallic cats. (My dentist is next to a romance bookshop - best marketing ever. And the romance bookshop itself is painted pink, with frills and faux fur and maybe some leopard print).

Mmm, marzipan. All the marzipan in this country has too much sugar in it.

[bare-bear.livejournal.com]

Have you read many of the Torchwood novels? I've read two, although can't remember the titles. One was about a condo complex that eats the tenents and the other about a card game making monsters. I'm not really sure how much I liked them, but I think I need to reading more. CAN'T GET ENOUGH TORCHWOOD!

I actually love the covers of the Torchwood books (most of them, anyways). They're so random! :D

[ladyaelfwynn.livejournal.com]

One of the things I like about the SCA is the relationship I have with a few merchants. I have two herbers, a needler, a wool merchant, and a bead supplier that I visit regularly. I can go to my needler and say I need a dozen, bone needles with eyes the size of 18 darners and within a few weeks I'll have them. The bead merchant I've known for 20 years and we're watching each others children grow up.

[xpioti.livejournal.com]

...death by metaphor.

LOL!