Walking and Friendships

My antidote to missing C is to keep my mind occupied and my time fully booked. It doesn't always work. I admit to having moments of totally zoning people out, and just living in my thoughts, even as I pretend to be "in the moment". This weekend has been tough. But, as always, I try my best to be tougher.

Today, I went marketing with Melanie at Vietnam town and cooked at her place. Our victims: Her two brothers. I did a pretty good vegetable stir-fry (I put shiitake, beens, daikon, celery), and the agedashi tofu (which I taught Mel to use as the way to her man's heart -- he's vegetarian). Mel and brothers (one of who is a chef) brought chicken from Jamaica Jerk. Yum yum. I loved the collard green side. The tofu, by the way, was a hit. The stir fry veggies have always been my old reliable.

In the afternoon, Mel and I walked her dog around Rogers Park. Although there are parts of the neighborhood that still not safe (former Section 8 housing areas), there is a lot of construction and upgrading of homes going on. "Gentrifying" as they call the process. I took a lot of pictures of interesting windows, which Mel made sure to point me. It was a good long walk with a newly-neutered dog with a funnel collar tugging at our feet for added drama. I am blessed to have a friend like Mel who listens and amuses, who shares my passion for architecture and its ironies, who never thinks there is any road that is too long to walk through and talk through, who has such faith in me when I have doubts about myself, and who indulges my silly hobby of spotting interesting windows for my blogs. I definitely will miss her.

Photo: Old window surprise preserved in an upgraded building along Superior, just off of Michigan Avenue.

Thai and Thai again

Back in the Windy City, great to be home. The trip to KC and neighboring areas was a busy, busy paperchase, always capped with big buffet dinners (welcome to mid-America!) -- which only translated to more work for me. After all the stresses of the day, after-dinner business (and weather and politics) conversation was yet another chore. But it all came with good intentions and I really should not grumble. [Trivia: There are no buffet places anywhere in downtown Chicago].

Met up with Mel for dinner tonight. She suggested I try Cafe Hoang ("Thai and Viet") on Argyle. I had my usual Pho Ga (chicken with rice noodles); and Mel had the pork chops and shrimps -- which did not sound too Vietnamese, altho when it came out on the plate, it seemed pretty.... Vietnamese. I guess it's all in the sauce. My Pho Ga was prettty good. Nothing out of the ordinary though. As long as it has crispy, clean bean sprouts, it's good enough for me. (: Lots to update between Mel and me .... what a difference a day makes -- imagine how much more after almost 3 weeks!

We went to the Vietnamese market where we chose little sweets to bring home. I got Mel "Sesame Mochi" and she got me some strange custard-y little cups. Let's see how that goes.

For dessert we went to good ol' reliable Thai Pastry, where I had the tim tap grop (water chestnuts in coconut milk). HEAVENLY, as always. [see picture on top left] Mel had the Thai custard which was warm and had a nice roasted flavor to it. (see picture top right).

Project Runway is starting in a few. Gotta run.