2004

1000 Bucks? Whatever, Dude!

Oh Billy. Lots going on here! Perhaps the most exciting of which is that my timing belt broke yesterday. And I don’t mean my belt with the giant clock-face buckle either–I mean the one in my car. The mechanic to which I was pleasantly towed to by the friendly AAA tow truck driver Jarod is nowhere near as trustworthy as Mike in St. Helena. Since a timing belt only costs around $16, I was a little surprised when he mentioned the total cost would be a little over a thousand dollars. (HELLOW! A THOUSAND DOLLARS!! THAT’S AS MUCH AS I PAID FOR THE CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE!!) So, I told him to ONLY fix the timing belt, and the water pump, which also seems like an important part, so we’re back down to around $500. But still. It’s no wonder that auto repair people have bad reputations. Who sets the price standards in this business?! It makes me want to go back to college and learn how to be a mechanic. Not so I can switch careers, just so I can afford to have a car and not get hosed by people like Steve at Valley Automotive.

Izzelicious

izze.gifHave you tried the new Izze sparkling fruit juices yet? What are you waiting for!? They’re awesome! Seventy percent juice and 30 perecent sparkling water, no added sugar, preservatives or caffeine–they’re every anti-cola drinker’s dream-come-true! Plus, they come in exciting flavors like blackberry, blueberry, clementine and pear. In addition to their nutritious and delicious drinkables, they have an interesting line of miscellaneous productry (i.e. flying discs, anti-odor footwear, visors, and drinkware). Hotness.

Girlfriend Confections

Who’s your girlfriend? Great packaging and six sassy cookie shapes–cell phone, lipstick, tiara, clutch purse, mirror, and nail polish–are the basis of this uber-trendy food company. Confections come in brightly-colored miniature purses–like this mini kiss up. Great marketing idea, but they need to work on product quality. The cookies are impure refuse, I’m afraid. They may be dyed pink, but they taste like stale Save-A-Lot brand “cookies”. Not enjoyable. I haven’t sampled their mints or sour candies, so perhaps those make up for the cookies. Let’s hope so for the hot packages’ sake!

Mood Boosters

Things That Make Me Happy Today:

The Chipmunks’ Christmas Song
AAA Maps
Crunchy leaves
Chucking junk/clutter into the dumpster

Turkey Day At Bouchon

This is what we’ll be serving tomorrow night:

First Course
Confit turkey wings, slow-cooked cranberries, fris�e salad

Second Course
Turkey leg “rillette” with currants, roasted yams and baby leeks

Main Course
Roasted turkey breast, chesnut and foie gras stuffing, brussels sprouts, caramelized apples and potato pur�e

Desserts
“Pecan Pie” with warm chocolate fondant, roasted pecan mousse and bourbon ice cream

Pumpkin pot de cr�me

Indian bread pudding with brioche, assorted dried fruit and vanilla bean ice cream

MMmmmmmmm!!!! Maybe turkey day away from home won’t be so bad afterall…

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