2002-07-07 - 7:19 a.m. nine million rainy days i have nothing left to give for you to take i have no more empty heart or limbs to break You know a BBQ (and your contributions to it) was a smashing success when your hostess calls three hours after you made your exit to make sure you got home safely...even post-coffee, my recollections of the trip home area wee bit hazy, though I can remember all the transit connections -- it was an inspired journey to say the least. I started out on 24th street in the Mission and hopped a 48 Quintara when it pulled up next to me, confusing it with the 66 Quintara that I see whipping down Market Street and through the Haight. After all, you would expect the powers that be to be smart enough not to name all the buses after the same streets, right? The MUNI schedule on line calls this the 48 24th Street bus even. BUT drivers are responsible for turning the little wheels that set the number and name on their buses, so sometimes you get weird combinations... After chatting with the driver, I discovered this bus would terminate at West Portal. I zipped into the West Portal MUNI metro station, hopped on a "K" streetcar, disembarked at the Castro station, walked down Market from Castro to Church, noting that there wasn't a hell of a lot happening anywhere -- restaurants 1/3 full, no group of smokers outside the Lucky 13 or Cafe du Nord -- at 8:00 on a Saturday night. This seems wrong to me. I hopped on the 22 Fillmore at Church, then caught the 38 Geary at Geary and Fillmore and happily, easily made my way home, viewing my transit adventures through the soft haze of three (four?) glasses of wine and easily as much sangria. It was a social gathering after all. In support of continuing my reputation as a good guest, I brought some kick ass potato salad to the BBQ (NOTE: the secret ingredient was bacon. The secret ingredient to almost everything I make is bacon), plus white trash dip and killer sangria. I was quite pleased that the many imbibers of the sangria, including people who drink far greater quantities of alcohol on many more frequent occasions than moi, thought it had a good kick to it (NOTE: not caused by bacon.) * * * * * * * White Trash Dip 1 pkg dry onion soup mix (I prefer Lipton) 1 large container sour cream Dump contents of one package of onion soup mix into one container of sour cream. Stir until all dry chunks (other than dehydrated onion chunks) are gone. Serve in the sour cream container. NOTE: this stuff is addictive. Your guests *will* slurp up every last bit of this dip. Since each box comes with two packets, you may want to have a second container of sour cream on hand.... Last Night's Sangria 1 pint organic strawberries, cut into wedges. 1 golden delicious apple, cut into thin wedges 2 shots Grand Marnier 2 shots cognac 3 shots dark rum 1 bottle of Amador County Zinfandel (red in case you're wondering) 1 bottle apple cherry cider 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar, dissolved in the rum I use a wide-mouthed 2-liter glass jar as housing for my sangria. Drop the strawberries in first and cover them with the Grand Marnier and cognac while you slice the apple. Add all additional booze then fill with juice until container is full. Serve over ice. * * * * * * * It was lovely to see my dear friend and try on her engagement ring. This is a weird compulsive girl thing. I have no idea why we do this, but it is some sort of pre-programmed ritual. We all want to see how the ring would look on our own finger. Who knows why??? It was also lovely to grocery shop with her at the big evil grocery store with its scary lighting and scary MAX Packs of junk food...as I schlepped three big bags of ice in one hand, with a 12-pack of Bud under my other arm, I remarked that, at that moment, I was the picture of most men's dreams -- a cute girl bringing him ice and beer on a warm summer's day. The socializing aspect was pleasant, but no real connections made with the people I previously knew who were there, or with any of the new people present. I *did* appreciate everyone's concern that I was going to sizzle like bacon when I sat on the back porch listening to the boys strum their guitars and sing...little did they know that slathering SPF 30 all over my face, neck and arms was my first activity upon entering the house pre-BBQ. I got to try out the idea of moving with fresh listeners, and received more Pacific Northwest votes. So far, this region is beating out NYC amongst the people I've polled. Of course, since they're my friends, it may have to do with the cheaper cost of airline tickets for West Coast cities...hmmm... any comments? (4 so far) previous - next recently on almostgoldsf... in defense of an email box I came to do battle with SPAM - 2008-05-17 hello 2006 - 2005-12-31 Happy Thanksgiving - 2005-11-14 bon voyage - 2005-11-05 October already? - 2005-10-09