Things came together this weekend. My dad finally came home from the hospital on Friday, but he is still quite fragile. P– drove us back in the Zipcar (it’s a good thing that their cars come in different sizes). However, we had a hard time getting him up the brownstone steps.
Saturday, we raided the Stop and Shop for Bounty paper towels (it was $10 for 15 rolls). There was this old Chinese guy that really couldn’t get a clue on the price, and was arguing with the cashier. I ended up paying his 94 cents in tax just so I could go. Also there was this weird woman that was standing in line behind me. She stood just 2 inches from me and creeping me out, and I was holding the old guy’s place in line, so I wanted her to go ahead of me.
Me: Ma’am…. Ma’am….. Ma’am
Her: I’m not your mother, or your sister, or anything, you god damn…
Me: Do you want to go ahead of me?
Her: ?
She shuffles ahead of me.
That night, P– and I celebrated early our 1st anniversary at Essex, where we had first met at a brunch. It had occurred to me that we hadn’t gone back in a long time: we were not disappointed when we came to our senses. The cuisine was, appropriately for the Lower East Side, Jewish influenced Asian/Spanish food. Potato pancakes covered with lox were a great hit as a starter, and the entrees of wasabi salmon with string carrots and roasted duck breasts with mushroom risotto were both winners. P– also got us $10 off using her deal-a-meal deck (I forgot its real name).
Sunday night was Indian night: while I was helping to coach some law students in moot court, she pulled off succulent lamb tandori, curry chicken, and those fried crisp flat bread things made out of beans that I can’t remember the name of. Also there was spiced califlower — hotter than you would think, but delicious.
Of course P– reads this (she actually asked me when I was going to post tonight), and of course she has to know that I love her, especially because she puts up with me. How’s that for a shout-out?