Cyber Chocolate

Peeps for All Seasons

2012-01-27T18:12:00.000-05:00

I saw these in Walgreen's and had to try them. I guess there truly is a Peeps for all seasons. These chocolate mousse Peeps bears seem to be for Valentine's Day.

Chocolate Mousse Peeps

I have to say they're a bit addictive, but then, I find pretty much anything marshmallow to be addictive. But they're not actually Peepalicious. That wonderful, artificial, pure sugar that almost tastes stale flavor that makes Peeps so irresistible is somewhat lacking in these. The chocolate aroma hit me as soon as I opened the package and there is definitely a chocolate flavor, but sadly, I don't think they're as good as regular Peeps.

Chocolate Mousse Flavored Peeps Bear

Feeling: moody

~~~o0o~~~

The Yummiest

2012-01-25T19:50:00.001-05:00

A friend and I had lunch today at Kutsher's Tribeca. We each had traditional matzoh ball soup, followed by potato pancakes. Both dishes were very yummy, but it was the desserts that won us over. She had a Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding and from the little taste I had of it, it was divine.

Chocolate Babka with vanilla ice cream

I had a Rainbow Cookie Hot Fudge Sundae, which was amazing. This delightful concoction featured marshmallow fluff, which was made in-house, as were the cookies and hot fudge sauce. In fact, they make everything in-house. And to my delight, not only were there 2 rainbow cookies on top, which I quickly devoured, but an ice cream-drenched cookie was at the bottom, a treasure I was thrilled to find, as if it were a coveted prize. Then I ate it. :)

Rainbow Cookie Hot Fudge Sundae

If you're visiting NYC, or are local, it's worth a visit to Tribeca to dine on modernized Jewish comfort food and desserts to die for.

Still having work-related dreams, btw. I wish they'd stop, along with the feeling I need to go back to work after my "vacation." I'm retired, damn it! This is not a vacation; it's life! :)

Feeling: sated

~~~o0o~~~

Yummy Chocolate

2012-01-23T23:56:00.003-05:00

I'm not much of a milk chocolate lover, but this Cow Island bar had a real kick with cinnamon (and pecans).

Still trying to adjust to not having my week scheduled five days out of seven. It's an adjustment I'm happy to make.

Feeling: not stressed

~~~o0o~~~

Concert Night

2012-01-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I saw Don McLean and Burton Cummings in concert last night. Don McLean is one of my favorite singers (and songwriter) and I love seeing him in concert. For one song, it was just him singing and strumming his guitar, which is a nice reminder that a good song doesn't need a band and it doesn't need augmentation or pyrotechnics. And at one point, being that I was close enough and had an unobstructed view of the stage, I'm sure Don looked over at me and smiled as I was singing along to "American Pie." (There's actually a site dedicated to this song.) Ah......

Don McLean

The second act was Burton Cummings of The Guess Who. This was the first time we saw him and I gotta say, the man sure sweats a lot. He went through a couple of towels as he toweled off after each song. He really threw himself into his music and put on a good show. I'd forgotten how much I loved some of his songs, especially "These Eyes."

Burton Cummings

Feeling: mellow

~~~o0o~~~

Ginormous M&Ms

2012-01-14T15:18:00.002-05:00

Ficon Doll with M&Ms

Who wouldn't want ginormous M&Ms? I've been contemplating what it would be like to eat M&Ms this size after taking this photo with my new 16 inch doll.

Feeling: the chocolate love

~~~o0o~~~

What a Big Fish You Have

2012-01-08T16:26:00.001-05:00

The Big One that Didn't Get Away

The 19th in my latest Plastic 52 series on flickr. The chocolate in this pic is a Pepperidge Farm chocolate graham Goldfish. I hadn't seen these so a friend sent me a small package (yeah, small; how appropriate for this pic) for the holidays. And they are yummy. And rather addictive. Not to mention adorable. Oh, too late. I just mentioned it. :)

Feeling: mellow

~~~o0o~~~

Adjustment Takes Time

2012-01-07T17:18:00.004-05:00

Retirement will take some getting used to. I keep thinking I'm on vacation and will have to go back to work soon. And I've had 3 work related dreams in the last 10 days, which is 2 more than I had in all the rest of 2011! I don't miss working -- really! But I do miss the routine. As soon as I can settle into a new routine, I think the dreams will go away. I hope, because they've been unsettling.

If you're so inclined, you can read my thoughts about it being the 100th anniversary of the birth of cartoonist Charles Addams.

Feeling: calm

~~~o0o~~~

Much Ado about Mousse

2012-01-06T01:05:00.001-05:00

chocolate mousse

Dessert from last night: the yummiest, chocolatiest, thickest mousse at Markt, a wonderful restaurant featuring Belgian food. The food there is wonderful, the bread is to die for, the butter must be freshly made because it's a lot better than what you typically get, and the desserts are rich and yummy. I had to take a photo showing a few spoonfuls removed from the mousse so you can see how rich it is. Just blogging about it is making my mouth water. If you're in NYC and have time for a trip to the Chelsea/Flatiron District in Manhattan, this restaurant is worth trying.

Feeling: content

~~~o0o~~~

Frustration-Free

2012-01-03T14:43:00.000-05:00

Power Cord Package

Frustration-Free

I had to replace the power cord for my Kindle. Apparently, there's a known problem with cords from a couple of years or so ago where the insulation crumbles and falls off. Not a good thing. Amazon replaced it completely free, and as you can see in the pics, the packaging was a cardboard box, not the frustrating plastic bubble packaging that you have to cut open, being careful to not cut the cord or yourself.

Feeling: pleased

~~~o0o~~~

Happy 2012

2012-01-01T02:05:00.000-05:00

Feeling: hopeful

~~~o0o~~~

Yin and Yang of Cookies

2011-12-30T23:59:00.002-05:00

So, this retirement gig is pretty good. I could easily get used to it. ;)

I had said I'd post my chocolate and toy(s) photos here that I'm doing for a flickr group, and of course, I often forget. But.... here's the one I did this week. Is it a black and white cookie? Or is it a white and black?! You decide! The "chef" is Wage of UglyDoll fame.

Cookies!

Feeling: content

~~~o0o~~~

Retired

2011-12-29T02:20:00.000-05:00

So far, it just feels as if I've had a day off. Still trying to wrap my brain around the concept of this not being a vacation. I'm really not going back to the library and the office I occupied for nearly 20 years.

My apartment is a mess right now. The den, which I use as an office of sorts, is particularly messy with all the junk I brought back from my work office. And that was only a portion of the junk I had there. I gave a lot of things, mostly office toys, to fellow staff, then tossed the stuff I didn't need (duplicates of what I have at home, mostly). One of my staff took so many things to remember me by that her cubicle resembled a shrine to me last I saw. That tickles me, that someone thought enough of me as a supervisor to want some of my things.

Looking back, I can honestly say I was a supervisor I would've wanted: someone who would be great to work for if you didn't give me any crap. Some people gave me crap -- whining about schedules, going over my head when they didn't like my answers, not being team players, always late, and so on -- and toward them, yes, I was not always the nicest person to work for. I wasn't a fair supervisor because I didn't treat people equally. I tried to be fair, really, but some people are a lot easier to treat fairly than others. I did the best I could and I never asked people to do things I wouldn't or couldn't do, and I tried to learn from my mistakes. I'm proud of what I did at that library and the branches I worked in previously, and I'm going to miss my colleagues and staff. I wish them all well.

I'm going to miss most of the public, too, especially the ones I've gotten to know while doing phone reference. That branch has a lot of regulars and I loved talking books with many of them. There are others I won't miss, especially the ones who insisted on talking over the phone with the TV or radio blasting in the background, or worse, people arguing in the background. Or the ones using cell phones that cut in and out, or picked up street noises as people walked and talked and then got annoyed when I couldn't hear everything they were saying and had to keep asking them to repeat what they'd said. I'm not going to miss the rude people or the ones who felt entitled to special service for whatever reason.

But I will miss my fellow science fiction fans and the man who also loves historical mysteries, especially set around World War II. Or the folks who loved talking to me, who said they were glad they got me because I always found the right books for them. I'll miss the ones who enjoy trying new things and were open to my suggestions, then were nice enough to let me know whether or not they enjoyed the books I recommended and didn't blame me if they didn't like them. I'll miss the feeling that I was making a difference in people's lives. That's the greatest kick of all.

But I sure don't miss getting up early, before the sun rises this time of year, and commuting on the subway during rush hour. Nope, I don't miss that at all.

Feeling: mellow

~~~o0o~~~

Evening of Mixed Emotions

2011-12-26T23:20:00.003-05:00

These are my thoughts tonight...

I have to go back to work tomorrow.
But it's my last day!
But it'll be a stressful day because 2 people are on vacation.
But I won't have to go back the next day!
But I'll miss so many people.
But I'll be too busy for that to matter!

A friend and I saw "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows" today, which we quite enjoyed. I think that makes 3 films I've seen this year. Maybe 4. Next year? I'm aiming for a movie a month.

I've got lots of catching up to do.

Feeling: conflicted

~~~o0o~~~

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T21:37:00.004-05:00

This is supposed to be an animation. I found the link for it over at Generator Blog and you can use your own words or photos in the hearts, but for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to get it into this ol' blog. I might try again, if I feel up for the challenge, but it's not the most intuitive thing to make, though I finally figured it out, but saving it and uploading it here seems even less intuitive. Or maybe that's because I've rarely played with animations and I don't recall ever posting any before. Anyway, click MyGiftBox and try for yourself.

Feeling: tired

~~~o0o~~~

The Eight Chocolates of Chanukah

2011-12-23T08:57:00.003-05:00

Ghiradelli Chocolates

Feeling: okay

~~~o0o~~~

Today's Chuckle

2011-12-19T23:31:00.002-05:00

I bought a package of hair thingies/scrunchies/whatever you want to call 'em at Ricky's and this is what was on the back. I love clever packaging.

Hair Scrunchies

Hair Scrunchies Package

Feeling: bemused

~~~o0o~~~

Ventura Highway

2011-12-17T15:51:00.002-05:00

Hubby and I went to see America at Westbury. They're one of my favorite bands; I've loved them since their first record, so it's been a while, 4 decades plus, actually. Last night, they mixed in some Christmas songs, including ones they wrote, which were really nice, and at the end, they tossed mini candy canes into the audience. I got one, but as you can see, it wasn't intact. :(

Broken Candy Cane

Opening for America was Jim Messina, of Loggins & Messina fame. He was very good, as was his band.

Unfortunately, I somehow managed to forget my little Point&Shoot camera, so no concert pics this time. :( :(

But that didn't change the fact that the concert, billed as the Holiday Harmony tour concert, was awesome.

Feeling: mellow

~~~o0o~~~

Santa Day

2011-12-11T16:59:00.001-05:00

Apparently, it was Santa Day yesterday. There were male and female Santas all over Manhattan, plus some elves. Friends reported seeing reindeer and at least one pink bunny. I snapped this kinda blurry shot on the subway platform on my way home.

Santa Headed Home

Feeling: amused

~~~o0o~~~

Harry Morgan

2011-12-07T19:03:00.001-05:00

I'm at the age when a lot of the performers I've adored are in their '70s and '80s and '90s and it's reasonable to expect they won't be around for much longer. Some of those losses hit harder than others. When James MacArthur died -- one of my crushes -- the chance he'd ever appear in the Hawaii Five-O remake died with him. And it was hard when Robert Culp -- of I Spy and The Greatest American Hero fame -- died. These were actors I grew up adoring.

Harry Morgan has just died. So many people know him as Col. Potter from "M*A*S*H," and I loved him on that show, but he was never one of my crushes. He was simply an actor I have long enjoyed and admired. And by the time he was cast in "M*A*S*H," I'd already seen him on plenty of TV shows. And not just "Dragnet." The first thing I remember seeing him in was "December Bride," a sitcom from the second half of the '50s that led to a short spinoff, "Pete and Gladys" in the first years of the 1960s. Just going through the cast lists of these shows brings back so many memories. TV history in the making. So I can honestly say that Harry Morgan made me laugh for most of my life. Rest in peace, Mr. Morgan. And thank you for all those laughs as well as a few tears.

Feeling: tired

~~~o0o~~~

Fun with Video

2011-12-03T19:05:00.001-05:00

A couple of fun videos I found thanks to Miss Cellania.
The Animals House of the Rising Sun Old School Computer Remix. This is simply an awesome instrumental. There are others on his YouTube channel that are just as cool.
The Shark Song is a trailer made from clips from JAWS for an editing competition. A very creative use of editing to turn the plot of JAWS on its ear.

Feeling: amused

~~~o0o~~~

Will You Forgive My Absence If I Show You Chocolate?

2011-11-27T13:31:00.001-05:00

I've been in a pre-retirement funk. Counting down the days. One month to go.

So, here's a waffle from Wafels & Dinges with dark Belgian chocolate drizzled over it, then sprinkled with puffy white sugar to make up for my lack of posts lately.

Wafel with Chocolate Sauce

Finished drooling? Good. Now you can go check out Know Your Meme for a few laughs.

Feeling: lethargic

~~~o0o~~~

See's Dark Chocolate

2011-11-18T18:07:00.001-05:00

Hubby brought me a gift recently, a bar of See's Candies Premium Dark Chocolate.

Chocolate

The taste was good, and the texture was rich and creamy. Definitely recommended.

In other news, here in the US, a lot of wrongminded folks, including the studio heads in Hollywood and other corporate entities, are trying to get an internet censorship law passed. Please let your senators and representatives know this is a bad idea. Thanks.

Feeling: mellow

~~~o0o~~~

Honoring Veterans

2011-11-11T01:39:00.001-05:00

Vietnam Veterans Memorial pin

This is the only pin/button I have commemorating veterans, but let's honor all our American veterans today. And you readers in other countries can remember your veterans today, too.

Feeling: patriotic

~~~o0o~~~

Cookie Review

2011-11-10T00:46:00.001-05:00

Chocolate Chip Cookies

So, when I was in the Chelsea Market last week, I picked up a package of Eleni's chocolate chip cookies. I decided to have them today to celebrate a perfect annual mammogram. The cookies were quite attractive, and looked a fair bit like the ones I make, only rounder and, well, more attractive. They were crispy, but I'm sad to report, not as chip-full as mine. Which was okay, because the few chips in each cookie were a bit too sweet for my taste. I did compulsively finish the 6 cookies, but I doubt I'd buy them again.

Feeling: okay

~~~o0o~~~

STAYCATION!

2011-11-06T12:27:00.001-05:00

It's been a busy, and fattening, week. A real rehearsal for retirement.

Sunday, I did the laundry. (I tried to find a fun link for laundry, but settled for the Wikipedia definition. It's late, give me a break.) I needed clean clothes and didn't want to go shopping for them.
Monday, I cleaned. Yeah, I know, hardly a vacation activity, but it needed to be done.
Tuesday, I went to lunch with a friend and had yummy mac and cheese at Sarita's.
Wednesday, I played online and caught up with stuff at home.
Thursday, I went taking photos on the High Line park with another friend. We had lunch at Chelsea Market which may become my new favorite place.
Friday, hubby and I went to see Air Supply at B.B. King's. It's a restaurant/club. I had yummy southern fried chicken and mashed potatoes with cole slaw.

Air Supply

Saturday, I went to Philadelphia Miniaturia. I bought stuff.
Sunday, I stayed home and am catching up on the social web. :)

Feeling: pooped

~~~o0o~~~