Thursday,
March 11, 2004
Oh, shit, not again
Well, lessee -- tomorrow is payday (and there was much rejoicing), there is more and more encouraging movement on the employment front for the Bodacious Brit, I believe I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for my contract doc (which means I can go back to writing fiction -- yeah!), my neck is a bit still from sleeping on the couch (back pain -- I can prop mself up on the couch in a way I can't do in bed) but generally I can't complain.
Which just makes me wonder when the other shoe is going to drop.
Oh, wait -- it did. In Madrid. And on the 11th, no less (although it probably has more to do with the upcoming elections in Spain than a specific date). I now have a deep and abiding respect for Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, who refused to speculate as to who carried out the attacks. "We are talking about a horrendous terrorist attack. . .don't ask me to play Lotto," Aznar told reporters on Friday.
Well, at least he didn't say it was the fault of the train drivers. On a serious note, my heart goes out to the families of the dead and wounded and the nation of Spain. I hope you find whoever did this, and hang them high.
Onto sweeter topics, like baklavaaaaaaaaaa. . .
Oh, my. As some of you may know, I have a passing fondness for Eastern European/Mediterranean/Middle Eastern pastries (not surprising, seeing as I'm 3/4 Eastern European), and for a while now I've been craving baklava (this is all your fault, Steve). The GOOD stuff, mind you, loaded with honey and pistachios and spices, ummmm. . .
So today, on a whim, I Googled on baklava, Plano and Richardson, and struck frigging gold. Turns out there's this gorgeous place called Natalie Bakery that specializes in EE/M/ME pastries (it's been so successful that it's opened a sister store close to LBJ for the convenience of people in Ft. Worth). The main store is on 2001 Coit, close to my apartment, so I stopped off on the way home.
Oh. My. God.
They had cases
and cases full of good stuff -- Greek and Iranian style baklava, Greek sesame
cookies, cakes, all kinds of yummies. After an agony of indecision, I picked
up a package of mixed baklava (after ringing it up, the lady behind the counter
stuck in an extra piece of the almond kind so that I could sample it -- now
THAT'S knowing your customer) and sesame cookies, and I am now an extremely
happy camper. albiet somewhat sticky. Mmmmm. . .