Random stuff...

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! Ah yes… Valentine’s Day… the day that Hallmark created to guilt people into purchasing cards and flowers and candy. I’m not complaining about the candy, though – Rick bought me some REALLY good chocolate from a place called Candinas in Wisconsin. I am convinced that the best chocolate comes from the little chocolatiers – the companies that DON’T have giant factories and so much demand for product that their chocolates must be mass-produced. I mean, don’t get me wrong – the mass-produced stuff can be pretty good, too (please see previous post about Ghirardelli). But there’s something extra-special about a truffle that has been created by a person and not a machine. These particular chocolates remind me of a cruise we took several years ago, where we stopped in Belgium and had an opportunity to watch some people make Belgian chocolate truffles. They explained how the fillings in the truffles were made with fresh cream and other perishable ingredients, so the chocolates had to be eaten within a few weeks’ time. And that seems to be the benchmark for how tasty a truffle will be – if it comes with an expiration date, chances are it will be a pretty decent truffle. But if it comes out of a drugstore Russell Stover box, it’ll be slightly less decadent. (Not that I’m above the Russell Stover boxes… if it’s chocolate, I’m always willing to give it a try… :))

So the writer’s strike is finally over. (Get back to work, you slacker Hollywood writers! It’s been an absolute nightmare having to watch television reruns. Thanks to you, I came thisclose to cracking open a book and READING it, you know…) Actually, I think those Hollywood writers should go on strike more often… it helps us to realize that we CAN get along without TV now and then… is it REALLY all that important that I see a new episode of Lost every single week? (Wait – yes… yes it is! Oh, thank goodness the writer’s strike is over!!)

I have decided that whoever invented automatic-flush toilets should be arrested for the proliferation of ickiness. These things are popping up everywhere from airports to interstate rest stops (which happens to be the last place I encountered one – on our way back from Chicago). Now, I’ve heard that these instruments of bathroom anxiety were brought into existence because there are so many disgusting people out there who neglect to flush toilets. And yes, I agree that this is a problem (and I’m not sure I understand why it would ever be such a complicated endeavor… is the handle thingy really THAT hard to figure out?)… but there has to be a better solution than the automatic-flush toilet. I already have a lengthy ritual I must perform before getting anywhere near a public toilet seat – first I have to grab a wad of paper and wipe off the seat, then either use one of those seat covers from the dispenser on the wall or just line the whole seat with more paper. But those stupid automatic-flush toilets have a seriously annoying habit of flushing willy-nilly (yeah, that’s right – willy AND nilly…) for no reason whatsoever. It's like they're possessed or something (where are all the toilet exorcists when you need them?). So I’ll only be halfway through my “wiping down the seat” routine, and the toilet-with-a-mind-of-its-own will do a 360, spit out pea soup, and start flushing. Which means I have to wipe it down AGAIN, because every time a toilet flushes it spews a myriad of germs into its immediate vicinity. Which is why it’s even MORE horrific when the stupid things flush after I’ve already SAT DOWN on them. I just want to jump up and take a shower… except public restrooms very rarely provide showers for their patrons. Perhaps this is where the Europeans get it right – if there were bidets all over the U.S. like there are in Europe, then I could just jump over to the bidet and, uh… do whatever the heck it is you’re supposed to do with a bidet… (Have I mentioned that I HATE automatic-flush toilets???)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Um, that was written entirely by Piva, who decided to plant herself on top of my computer keyboard. I’m sure she’s trying to tell us something, but I can’t figure out what, exactly…

Okay, I’m off to add a few thousand steps to my pedometer (we ate far too much good food in Chicago… once again, please see previous post about Ghirardelli)…