Short update

[snousle]

Thursday: We had another pizza party, this one a little more premeditated, in which we invited the neighbors. There was a "no politics" rule, which in this case means road association issues, not the election. Nevertheless, certain locals are unable to observe such a rule, since it would leave them with nothing to consider but the howling existential void; letting them busy their mind with arcane grievances is an act of mercy.

Goodness, they ate a lot of pizzas. Ten pizzas for twelve people - not enormously large ones, but dang. For some reason these ten pizzas took about two hours to get rolled and baked, even with my careful mise en place. It seemed like a lot more work than I had expected, but then there were several glasses of wine involved as well. Of course, they were ridiculously good, and I was especially pleased to discover a clutch of anchovy-lovers among our guests. The pies all but disappeared within moments of emerging from the oven, so I only got a few slices myself!

Saturday: Rode with the local HOG group to Occidental. As much as I dislike the way this "club" is just another marketing tool, it is nonetheless quite friendly and open, which at least affords an entree to the local scene. And wow, what a hot bunch of guys. Every last one of them crusty and unshaven in all the right ways. Really quite frustrating, but like I say: I can hang with hot guys at the Eagle and not get laid, or I can hang with hot guys in Ukiah and not get laid, and it's not all that different. However, once I get my fuck truck cleverly reconfigurable catering van, that might change on both fronts. I'm not sure just how much the group as a whole clues in to Teh Ghey, but nobody has been unfriendly so far.

I need a clever quip to explain to straight people why I have a ponytail hanging off the back of my bike. For the kinky set, I just smile and say "I took it from a straight guy that wouldn't let me fuck him", which happens to be true. ;-) But that pretty much devastates the delicate sensibilities of heterosexual men; I need something equally entertaining but a little less terrifying for the straight set.

Afterwards, I dropped by the Cattle Co. in Guerneville and immediately met a guy named Dave Nicholas, who knew all the old Rainbows and was full of interesting stories. He tells me he has an enormous photo archive, and I'm going to have to get down to see it. He'd dropped out of the bear/biker scene after some traumatic times in the 90s - as did many other men - but he says he's coming out of his shell again and is interested in coming to QBT next spring. Anyone happen to know him?

Opening inspection for the kitchen is happening a week from tomorrow. Big list of things to do. Eeek!

Comments

[h0gwash.livejournal.com]

You could say a food critic wrote a review of MossCamp. “How clever are shrimp–and–foie gras dumplings with grapefruit dipping sauce?” he wrote. “What if we called them fishy liver-filled condoms? They were properly vile, with a savor that lingered like a lovelorn drunk and tasted as if your mouth had been used as the swab bin in an animal hospital.” (From some food critic named A A Gill) So you cut off his ponytail. Or something like that.

[kevynjacobs.livejournal.com]

Anchovies rule!

Anchovies rule!

[ursine1.livejournal.com]

Speaking of anchoas, I never saw so many until I came to Spain. Here they are tinned, but are in a cold case. There must be 10 brands. Some are so expensive that they have a theft detection device.

Chuck, mmm... anchoas en una ensalada mixta!