Secret foods

Alimentum recently posted their readers’ secret foods. Some, like microwaved cheese (which I’ve made accidentally) or frozen Snickers mixed with Cool Whip, sound sort of appealing. They’re like Doritos with sour cream: excessive yet satisfying.

Others, not so much. (I just can't get into sardines.)

I didn’t submit a secret food, but if I had, I’d probably have mentioned Red Lobster’s coconut shrimp and shrimp scampi, with rice pilaf on the side. And yes, I would've also included the cheese biscuits and the salad drowned in Caesar dressing. Because I eat those, too.

Broken glass

When I told Tim (of Model Retailer) that this was a week of broken glass, he asked, “Is that a metaphor?”

Alas, no.

My friend Mike asked me to repair a glass dragonfly that his wife, Holly, accidentally broke. I didn’t have high hopes, but Tim brought over some supplies and went to work on the various pieces.

He reattached the tail, a leg, and two wings. This dragonfly has learned to fly again! (Insert Mr. Mister song here.)

On a less inspiring note, I’ll be taking my car to a glass place to have my front windshield replaced. On the first cold night that I left my car out for a couple of hours, a seemingly benign (and definitely small) crack traveled across my entire windshield.

If you've got a suggestion for an appropriate 80s song, metaphorical or otherwise, it would really cheer me up.

Sunday with Steve Byrne

Sunday afternoon, I met Steve Byrne at the Orange County Pavilion. He was funny and down to earth as he talked about his parents' support, growing up half Asian, and how his comedy has changed.

He was a good sport while Yukie shot photos of him with the oranges and plants in his dressing room. Did you know that he can juggle?

Yukie also captured his Jackie Chan pose — which would not have been possible without Hal's "Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan?" question in response to my pre-trip post.

Diane and Todd joined us later to shoot photos at the taping. I've been to comedy clubs before, but nothing compared to this — laughing with 500 people at the same thing, at the same time. And I won't give away who the surprise guest was, but he had all of us cheering.

Forever young

Yukie and went to an 80s prom hosted by one of her Team in Training friends. For the occasion, she bought a $10 mint green lace dress that she accessorized with mismatched earrings, a heart necklace, and a pair of silver ankle-strap heels. I went with an 80s (though not prom-y) look: my New Edition t-shirt with a hot pink tank top, satin skirt, white plastic hoops, and a side ponytail. Our Mensa friends Devin and Bryan — our dates — wore a tux and a tuxedo t-shirt, respectively.

Because Yukie used to shoot prom photos, she was an expert at posing: Don't she and Devin look like a classic prom couple?

I had forgotten how many different looks people wore in the 80s. I remember what we (the girls) wore but I forgot about the guys' styles. I took in the view as I sipped my vodka tonic. (It tasted like gin — reminiscent of the first time I got drunk, from kamikazes the house boy had made. Heady times, the late 80s.)

It was mind-blowing to see polo shirts with upturned collars, parachute pants, rolled-up jacket sleeves, skinny ties, Chuck Taylors, and terry-cloth headbands. But I think my favorite was the guy who wore a teal t-shirt under a cream-colored jacket. Very Miami Vice. And his Nikes looked great while he did the Running Man.

The DJ spun some classics, but I have such a fixed memory of the 80s, I was waiting for "It Takes Two," "A Little Respect," some MC Hammer or Depeche Mode or New Order. Also missing: the arena rock anthems of Styx and Journey. And while I loved hearing "Friday I'm in Love," that was so 1992. I know that they couldn't fit a decade of music into just a few hours of prom, but I can only hope that the night ended with "True" or "Crazy for You" or even "Forever Young".

I'm glad I went to Prom. It was a chance to appreciate (confront?) the 80s again, beyond just experiencing them as background music.

Does this look familiar?

Yesterday, Yukie and I watched the latest episode of Flash Forward.

In that episode, one of the characters is leaving work when she witnesses a murder. The character works at Bird's Plus (yes, the apostrophe makes no sense).

When Yukie and I got out of the car to go to the 80s prom, this is what we saw.

We both recognized it immediately. I got a little scared because my first thought was of danger (not that the crime was fictional).

I know: we had our own flash forward.

Oh no, Papa, you're out of control!

I came home from tennis tonight to this.

Her tail is on the spout of my water bottle.

She removed the cap from the popcorn jar neatly. But she chewed the opening of the jar shut.

Yes, that’s a knife.

And a sponge, torn in three pieces.

Also, she pulled out the pen that keeps the door of her food bin closed. It does not appear that she opened the door and ate any food, though.

I'm leaving for L.A. Saturday morning. I am hoping we can get through the next week without incident. I am exhausted.

Oh no, Papa. I'm sorry about the water.

Papa gave me more reasons to keep blogging about her.

I came home Saturday night to find the drain cover from the shower on the living room floor. Eww.

And the toilet bowl brush was on the floor in the bathroom. Eww again.

But the saddest sight — and the one I didn't photograph — was Papa's water bowl, overturned on the kitchen floor. I think she was really thirsty.

Why so thirsty? Maybe because, earlier that day, she got a bag of rolls from the kitchen counter, ripped it open, and ate the one roll that was left.

Counter-surfing is a new behavior for her. And so is dismantling the bathroom. Sheesh.