There's Still Time to Change The Road You're On

Smoked Turkey wings for flavor

Well, well, well, here I am almost a year behind on posts.  We find ourselves on productive afternoon.  Two soups in one day, a 15-bean in crock pot, and a split pea stovetop. I'm impressed at my former self.  This is a smart idea because you can use all of your carrots, celery and onions.  Also if you buy a pack of smoked wings or hocks, there is usually enough for two batches.  The bad thing is that by the time you get to the end of two huge vats, you're sick to death of soup.  Smart people freeze things and save them for rainy days.  I could do that but don't.  I've always wondered, why don't we do things that are smart and wise all the time, especially when we know better? 

All the trees were being disposed of on a particular day when the city comes to pick them up.  Isn't that crazy?  All these apartments, the people, each tree valued at over a hundred dollars but worth much more.  Killing trees.  Smart people killing trees.  For a beautiful purpose no doubt but we all know better than this.  There's just too many of us now to continue this type of nonsense. 

I Lock Out All My Worries and My Fears

I found impossibly large Portobella mushrooms at my vegetable market and a great inspirational recipe.  Recipes can be a great motivator to rev up your own ideas.  The actual recipe, most likely amazing was not used but it did sway me to create this spinach and sausage pesto cap over marinara sauce.

P was gone recently and now he's safely tucked back into his 5 x 7 room.  Yes, for New Yorkers its a major bonus to have one of these 1/2 rooms attached to a 1 bedroom.  His has a window and separate door even, which is rare.  He stays in there for sometimes 8 hours at a time, for days and days.  And it has been this way for years. Through time I've felt different ways about this behavior both bad and good.  He writes songs, plays music, records, makes movies and sometimes just watches sports.  He has a full command central type of set up including new gadgets endlessly delivered from Amazon.  I don't want that room and I get the run of the rest of the place so there is no issue regarding space.  I understand that it's common for men to want a separate area, the dreaded man-cave but this is not that exactly.  If he didn't have it, we would not be living together not because we'd argue constantly, but that might happen too.  It's where he can create and if he's not creating he's not a happy person.  Thank goodness I can create in any room and also enjoy my solo time more than the average Jo-lene.

Because I never venture in that room, I started to really believe there was an entire world on the other side of that door.  I refused to clean it so it's very rare that I enter.  It remained full of mystery.  Until recently he was gone on a trip an I had the opportunity to fetch coffee cups left to fester with science experiments growing in the bottom.  I picked them up and just stood looking around at all the little stuff, careful not to disturb anything.  Even though it was messy, wires everywhere, pieces of wood nailed to the walls, guitars hung on ropes, there was a beautiful calmness to it.  If you were to open up his brain it may look similar.  Men are weird.  P's is a little strange.  That room is a wilderness.  I'm glad there is a place that he can go in this world that accommodates all of that chaotic energy that he puts off and that it seems to fit in a tiny 5 x 7 room. 

Inspirational recipe

Lord Help Me, I Can't Change

Pelicana Chicken is a Korean chain so it was an odd choice for a date but it's a block away, it's new and a spicy hot fried chicken sandwich is a draw for me, not gonna lie.  I hate the banners and the many stickers on the windows, especially on a cute neighborhood building.  Why is a chicken restaurant named after another bird, or does it have a different meaning? In Spanish it means to have gray hairs.   Regardless, every spot has failed and moved on in this location, so it was important to support them.

The batter is really good, super crispy and light.  Everything was fried so this can't be a regular spot but a nice take out or delivery card to pull out in the future for a treat.

The prices were reasonable considering the neighborhood's competitors.

The sandwiches were awesome too and the sauces were on point.  The spice was right and I loved the proportions with regards to tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and the meat to bun ratio.  There really is an art to putting together a good sandwich.

The interior was wild.  Nicer inside then you'd expect, lots of sparkles.  But it was super early and January so we were the only patrons.  Still I'm not sure I'd want to sit in again, but definitely will continue to patronize.  Right before we left the dinner crowd came pouring in.  Looks like the young high school and stroller variety.  I am a creepy asshole snob for saying but man I just hate being in restaurants with strollers.