Happy New Year 2008

Wow. A whole year of blogging just blew past. Well, February still stands out as the longest three months of the year, but after that? Like Lightning. I'm a year into the blog, a year and a half into the job, and just shy of that in the condo. Things feel like they are coming together and I have many new friends out here - I just wish there was someone closer who would regularly hang with me for dinner or at the bar. But being happy for what I *do* have is working out pretty well for me. And that includes of some older friends who invited me out for a lovely New Year's party.

Friend C convinced, with very little arm twisting, his old high school buddy to cook up a fine spread, on Friend C's dime. Then he let some of us LA folk in on the invite - naturally, we showed! We spent the evening drinking wine and doing nerdy personality tests (I'm an iNtP, heaviest on the N) in between these courses, which also came paired with wines. Just roll your eyes back in your head now, this stuff was that good.

• Roasted pepper and goat cheese crostini with caviar
  
• Fanny bay oyster with shallot mignonette
  
• Fresh Fettuccine with Parmesan and white truffles
  
• Wild mushroom soup
  
• Slow poached sea bass over mesclun salad
  
• Roasted rack of lamb with a syrah demi-glace jus and roasted root vegetables
  
• Fresh berries baked in puff pastry

I found out that while I still like goat cheese, caviar still isn't my thing. But it's New Year's and worth a try. I passed on the oysters due to the clam allergy and the fact that several someones would enjoy it more. Fortunately I love mushrooms, and found out that I don't have to fear at least one delicacy (a word which in my terminology usually means: "this is gonna be awful") and I like mushroom truffles as much as the next truffle lover. YUM. All the food was fresh from the local farmers markets. The sea bass was lovely too, and I should find out what dressing he used on the salad because it was tasty. Yum on the lamb and caramelized root veggies, including carrots of 3 different colors.

Then we watched a little South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut singing along to "Uncle Fucker" and other classics while we sobered up and had dessert. I should just state right out in my next online dating profile that if they don't think that movie is pure genius, don't bother calling. Only, you know, state it positively instead of using the word "don't". And maybe figure out what goes well with an INTP. I don't think I can distill the whole evening into only 3 happy things, although I can sum up as Food, Folk, and Fun. With wine.

I have been reading voraciously this holiday, and getting in my half hour exercise about every other day, plus a smidge extra here an there. (Since I want to run a 10K in 6 months, I need to get off my fanny and move.) If you haven't heard from me, it's because I went into hibernation mode - baking bread, reading, and staying off line. Tomorrow is going to be a rough, rough day, although given the fact that I woke up at 7am today of all days, I think my body is ready to get back to being diurnal.

I'll do some mini-goal setting and updates later, back to the Black Dagger Brotherhood for now. Once again, as with Firefly, the buzz was spot on. Y'all were right, I was not disappointed. Happy New Year to me! And to you readers out there! Thanks for sticking with me on this little adventure. I'm happier now, and I hope you are too.