Best thing since sliced bread

I hate wasting stuff. Why, just the other day I used only half of a salt packet and Scotch-taped it shut so I could use the other half later. While this instinct comes with its share of dubious labels (hippie, cheapskate, OCD...), it usually manifests itself positively. For example, though a dedicated lunch packer, I manage to stretch a box of Ziploc baggies for months at a time.

But what if you had kids and packed several lunches a day, 5 days a week? Imagine the waste of baggies and money! So, when last week I told Chris my idea for reusable sandwich bags, I thought we should start brainstorming ways to spend the million dollars I was about to make.

But doggone it, somebody beat me to it. The good news is that rather than waiting months for me to apply for my patent, you can just go buy some now. Behold the SnackTaxi:
Formerly known as happysacks, these babies are fully washable and have a coated lining to deal with moisture. They come in different sizes and designs, too. And wouldn't you know, they were created by a mom who was burning through Ziplocs while packing lunch for her kids.

These aren't airtight, so there is still a need for a Ziploc here and there. But I'm betting you could get some serious mileage out of these. I plan on trying a couple out!

Sushi art

Wow, the sushi guys at TJ Asian Bistro on the corner of our street have really outdone themselves. We kicked off last weekend with dinner there and were served these plates:

OK, they haven't outdone themselves on the Sashimi Regular yet (nothing can top the flashing, color-changing LED lights embedded in crushed ice). But the baby's breath IS frozen into a standing sheet of ice. Pretty intense.

They've certainly outdone themselves with the regular old sushi plates:That is seaweed, drawn in a brown sauce. (I had to make these pics black-and-white because the sauce is brown. It looks delicious in person, but low lighting + iPhone photos did not convey the tastiness.) And as you eat the California rolls...

You uncover a fish! The bubbles were done in green sauce. Not sure if everyone would like seeing a fish while eating fish, but I was too overwhelmed by their artistic ambition at the time to mull that over.

Typewriter magic

In keeping with the "stories/writing" vibe Chris and I have going with our wedding, we will be typing our invitations on my grandfather's 1935 Underwood Portable, purportedly the same model Faulkner preferred. This is on generous loan to us from my grandmother. My grandfather obtained this beauty in a swap with his brother Tom. Gram cannot remember what he traded for it, but she remembers him boasting that he got the better part of the deal. Hard to imagine that he didn't: 

File under...

Kittehs are very neat and organized pets. Here, Roger demonstrates by helping with the filing:

Belongs in here somewheres...

No, not under A...C? No...H, I, J...

I filez me under "K" for "kitteh"

Gym-going

Since the layoffs at work, I've been a bit lax about hitting the gym. I've just had a hard time motivating myself to go. Felt a little too heavy, a little too low. But I'm back in the saddle this week because...

1) There's nothing like getting the heart pumping and inhaling the vaguely antiseptic scent particular to gymnasiums and the Blockbuster Video shop at the Cross County Mall.

2) There's nothing as refreshing as a midday shower with L'Occitane Milk Soap.3) And mostly, there is nothing like a discounted membership to the Upper West Side Y to guilt me into getting my ass over there.

Hanging up my winter coat?

Today I left the house wearing a light jacket. The sun is shining, children are outside playing, dogs are out for walks. Could it officially be time to hang up my winter coat?

Before it is relegated to the back of the closet until next winter, I have to pay respect to my Brooklyn Industries Snug Coat. I agonized over this purchase for ages, because dropping a lot of money on one article of clothing is a tough decision for me. But I would say it was some of the best money I've ever spent.

This coat allowed me to wear a dress out on Valentine's Day and made long waits on subway platforms bearable. On long bus or train rides, it can serve nicely as a comforter. It eliminated the need to stuff long johns under fitted pants.

Yes, it does somewhat appear that I am walking down the street in a sleeping bag. However, the diagonal stitching on this baby makes it look a tad more slim-fitting than other full-length puffers I've seen. Even though I bought it late in the season, I wore it up until yesterday, and am not convinced that I won't break it out at least one more time this year.

If you, like me, commute to work in rain, shine, sleet, blizzards, or mini-hurricanes down Broadway, you NEED this coat. If your commute is a trifle less X-Treme, maybe a knee-length parka, like The North Face Artic Parka, will suit your needs (tested by my friend Jenn down in DC).

Every spring, I promptly block the preceding winter from my memory. That's the only way I'll ever get through winter again. But at the first sign of chill next year, you'll know where to score one of these coats. Trust me, you will not be sorry.

More music lessons

Orchestra humor never gets old. In honor of normal rehearsal day, a snippet from last night's Mozart run-through:

Concertmaster: "This is allegro non troppo."
Second violinist: "Yeah, allegro non stoppo."