spacekadet

I've been back in Austin for a couple of days now... just a few final notes I scribbled while on my trip. Oh yeah, and a few photos.

When we left from Chi towards Champaign, we quickly ran into some insane traffic caused by an unfortunate accident. We put the car in the four wheel drive and drove the jeep right across that median ditch and towards another route. My first off-road experience!

I was elated to stay at the Hawthorne Sweets... only because it's connected to assram. I made some frantic (and probably expensive) phone calls and managed to pull everyone together at Esquire, home of the zone. It was AWESOME to see everyone from UIUC and Wolfram. I had such a great time. We ended up having pizza at Jupiter's, coffee at Cafe Kopi, and then drinks at Boltini. The night went by way too quickly. Dawid looks awesome with his long hair. And the Wolfram crew is exactly the same - which is fine by me. Suketu is still the bomb, and Seth proposed the coolest toast to me... something about getting drunk for the first time at my place.

I had to leave way too soon... when I return, I'll be sure to stay a couple of nights at UIUC. Writing this now, I feel a little sad! I miss my wonderful friends from the good ol' days of undergrad and software testing.

I was also glad to see that Strawberry Fields was still around to provide us with some chow for the road - their bbq tofu sucks, unfortunately, but their sandwiches still rule.

Five hours later...

In general, a blatantly commercial restaurant that serves up advertisements in their menu and bad jokes from the waiter would have me wanting to hate, but the truth is: The Cheesecake Factory serves up some damn good cheesecake.

Our last stop in the tour de midwest was Columbus, Ohio to visit my dad's side of the family. I hadn't been in Ohio since I popped in on the way back from MASS in January 2000, freezing my ass off all the way there in the heatless but lovely Toyota Celica. This time around, the weather was rainy and cool and the Jeep's a/c worked well enough. The 5 hour trip from Champaign to Columbus was nothing compared to our previous journey. We got into my Uncle Jim's house a little after 5pm, and was greeted by my Grandma, Uncle Ed, Aunt Rosella, Aunt Judy, but sadly, no Uncle Jim who had to teach.

Almost as quickly as I arrived, we departed for dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, which the Ohio crew apparently loves. On the way, we spotted a nice surprise: my cousin Chris (not to be confused with my cousin Chris) who joined us for dinner. It was fun to catch up and once again, stuff my face with food. I had some strawberry cheesecake, and since I couldn't use the phrase "triple cumshot" in front of my nice family, I instead opted for "this is really really really good".

After dinner I was able to catch up with Uncle Jim. He's been doing music his whole life, and his kids, Andy and Chris, have followed suit. I remember when Chris was in grammar school and he learned how to play the violin. He could play by ear, and we used to have great fun thinking of songs for him to play. I also remember him being into art, so I'm not surprised he's majoring in graphic design. He's got a band on the side, The Fe-Ne-Tiks.

Once again, the visit was extremely short. The good news is that I saw almost all of the Ohio-Shaw clan and everyone seems very well. I left with good feelings a little regret for having scheduled such a short visit. There is never enough time! Must get back to Austin! Must sell all my possessions! Must get to England with my sanity intact!!! Must get a JOB! MUST BREATH!!

We're on the road now, heading back to Austin, driving due west into the sunset. Bargh.`` I'm anxious to get back and have some BBQ on a Bun at Mother's, and then get back to losing the road-trip blubber as quickly as possible. The trip home has been surprisingly beautiful. We're driving back via Kentucky and Arkansas. Kentucky, man, they have some great country side, especially in the mega foothills of the Appalacians. I've seen some bluegrass-related landmarks along the way, which isn't surprising given that Kentucky is the Bluegrass State. Kentucky is also home to the nation's largest inland peninsula, The Land Between The Lakes, which has something like 200 miles of hiking trails. Once I capillarize and become bodacious, I will need some new challenges beyond the gym and 5k's, and I think I might find these challenges in outdoor adventures, like mountain biking and hiking. Camping rules, and it's a geek sport - GADGETS GALORE. So maybe someday I'll head over to the LBL and get my off-road cycling calves in motion, rewarding myself with tea and Malt-O-Meal while I camp along the Kentucky River.

Posted by monica at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ok so the traffic in the windy city blows. It took us almost 5 hours to make the 164 mile trip from Madison to the Days Inn Gold Coast in Chicago. It's called the Days Inn Gold Coast, but it's more Old Town/Lincoln Park, right near the Lincoln Park Zoo. I'm pretty proud of myself for finding such a reasonably priced hotel in such a perfect part of town. High fives to me.

Still, negative high fives for my stress levels as we got in. The traffic filled me with rage. I was to have dinner with my parents, and see Cara, and it was all crashing down around me. But guess what - shocker - it all worked out.

While my parents made it into the city, I downed a vodka tonic at the Bar Louie downstairs and then walked the 10 blocks up the street to have dinner at the Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Factory. WALKING to a restaurant felt awesome. I never want to own a car again! The CPOGF was SO GOOD, after that miserable drive, which I learned was due to George W. Jackass being in town. Their salad is awesome. Their flatbread is awesome. The "upside pizza" that isn't really pizza but rather a cheesy saucy cumshot in a bread bowl was so awesome that I could barely take a break to drink my glass of Chianti. Interesting factoid: the CPOGF is located across the street from the site of the Valentine's Day Massacre.

You have no idea how happy that food made me! Almost as happy as I was to see Cara at the Grafton near Lincoln Park. It was a shame I was so tired from driving and mass food and wine consumption. But it was fun to catch up and drink Blue Moon with my dormmate turned compatriate. Cara seems really happy. Yay!!! I need to stay in better touch with her. She's a reightous babe and one of the coolest people I've ever met.

Friday was a beautiful day. We were able to walk from our hotel to Lake Michigan and go for a run down the lake shore, from Oak Street beach to Navy Pier and back. Running is a great (and often better) way to see a city when there isn't much time for cheesy tourism. Afterwards, we had breakfast at Clarke's, a 24-hour diner on Lincoln Ave. near De Paul. The place was filled with swelling frat boys. The breakfast was so-so. It's hard to go wrong with eggs and toast.

Internet withdrawl! Okay, so maybe Austin kicks Chi's ass in the wifi department. DePaul U. must have some free-wifi happy coffee shops. Sure enough, we found a place that, for some reason, featured a pitbull who was intent on dragging its ass along the ground. Hmm. Here's what I don't get: a coffee shop with no bathroom. So I peed in a Chipotle w/o buying anything - do you think McDonalds got my point? I didn't stay long enough to find out - I was worried I'd get diabetes just by spending time in the place.

We walked back to our Hotel via Oz park. Surrender Dorothy!

It was necessary to have some Italian food while I was in town. We found a place in Old Town called Topo Gigio. Damn this place was good. Their eggplant parmesan was the best I've ever had. Some of the staff wore t-shirts decorated with a cartoon mouse. I later learned that Topo Gigio was a mouse puppet that often appeared on the "Ed Sullivan Show". Topo Gigio is also on TV in Italy.

We could have stayed at TG all night had we not planned on having a happy out at the Gingerman Tavern. After hanging out for some time with Tim and my parents reading Trivial Pursuit cards, some people showed up and we had a good time. Although I was drinking Stella Atois at a very slow place, I suddenly became extremely inebriated and had to go pass out! Jigga wha?!

Sunday morning - should I have been surprised to not be in the mood for running? I felt better than I should have, but I didn't push my luck. We headed around the corner for breakfast at Nookie's - great place! And yet, it didn't change my dislike for going out for breakfast. Despite the tasty zucchini egg-white omelette and tasty toast, it's all too much. Maybe it's because restaurants don't have the New & Improved Boca Breakfast Links (the ones in the red package). But I think it mostly has to do with my hatred for stuffing myself full of potatoes and eggs early in the morning.

Monica's favorite breakfast:

1 Omelette made with 5 egg whites, sauted onion, mushroom, and bell pepper, a sprinkle of colby-jack cheese, salt and pepper.
2 Boca sausages
1 glass of ice water

Maybe if I'm really hungry I'll have a slice of dry wheat toast or a banana. But I can't deal with the massive plate of hash browns and greasy eggs and butter-soaked toast that's so common at breakfast joints. Who wants to start the day bloated and nasty?

Anyway, back to my day. We headed downtown for the recently revealed Millennium Park. Part of it was closed for a benefit, but we saw most of the cool stuff: the family portrait of the world, the wicked spitting fountain, and the backside of the reflective metallic giant bean.

We didn't have much time for strolling, but for good reason: my parent's were throwing a going-away party for Tim and I ate my Dad's house - an Indian feast! Most of the food was from my family's favorite Indian restaurant, Shera Punjab, with the exception of a delicious chickpea dish that my mom made from scratch. I was pretty elated that my whole family showed up, even my Ohio cousins, Andy and Emily, who I haven't seen in over four years. My former roommate, Mike and our mutual friend, Joe, even stopped by. How touching!

After the party, the trip ended too quickly, too soon. The next day we had time for a run on the north lakefront trai, and a quick stroll through the Lincoln Park Zoo to see the gorillas and their friends. I love the zoo! Then it was off to the burbs for one last lunch with my parents at the Lemont Street Cafe. We said our final goodbyes and some tears were shed, but I like to think they were tears of joy. After all, what better excuse for my family to visit London? And besides, I have a return ticket for February... I've spent more time away from them while I've been in Austin!

No time for tears, it's off to Champaign - UIUC, Altgeld Hall, and my beloved friends.

Link to my photos in Chicago.

Link to Sandy's photos of the Indian Feast.

Posted by monica at 11:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Finally, camera cables at last... here is a link to some photos I took in Madison, Wisconsin. Enjoy!

Posted by monica at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On the way into Madison, we had to stay overnight in a hotel in Springfield, Missouri (the "Show Me State"). Ivy was with us, and gave us hell all night long. And yet in the morning we found him strangely calm. This is the last picture of Ivy I took before I said goodbye. I should have taken a better shot of he and I together. Regrets.

Posted by monica at 10:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We kept on pushing and, 1400 miles later, made it to Madison, WI at around 5:30pm last Wednesday. It was a bit of a relief to drop Ivy off with my sister and get him out of the car (and straight to the food bowl and a litter box).

Madison is awesome. It's filled with large trees and parks and two beautiful lakes. It's more condensed than Austin - the University is flush with the heart of downtown, a place where people actually live and shop and spend the day. There are hills and scenery, people outside living life and being active. The occasional fat and frumpy grad student. Crappy student housing. Scooters are everywhere! People walking their canoe from their house to the lake. People WALKING. We had a yummy dinner at a place called Bluephies, then went out for a couple of much needed pints of beer.

There is a bar in Madison called Le Tigre that is a must-visit for those who like their bars to be eccentric and welcoming. It's been in Madison for 40 years, and is operated by some dude and his son. The entire place is decorated in tigres: tiger print carpet, tigre statues, tiger pictures. The only thing non-tiger is the framed photo of Rush Limbaugh. Hrmmm.... they also have a kickin' jukebox, filled with Elvis, Frank Sinatra, and "I've Had The Time of My Life" from Dirty Dancing (which I don't think the locals appreciated as much as I did).

At some point we scored a stack of print editions of The Onion. Not bad for our first night out in the Midwest.

The next morning Tim and I went for a much needed run on Lake Monona. We had a great view of downtown Madison and the rollerbladers inspired much envy on my part. Madison was a great place to run. The paths were excellent and the breeze was pleasant, though I imagine I'd feel differently if it were January.

For breakfast, Stephanie took us to an amazing diner, Mickey's Dairy Bar. Tim had his first malt, chocolate of course. Steff's banana malt was pretty damn delicious, and her pancake with strawberries and cream was impressive. I stuck with coffee and a tasty omelette. Dairy rules.

The rest of the day was spent wandering around Madison's vast university and quaint downtown. Tim bought a UW "bev key". In a decision I think I will regret, I refrained from buying a UW hoodie because it's been suggested that the slacker fashion I've donned in Austin won't fly in posh London. Still, a girl comes to a point in her life where she has to define her own style. Isn't that what the big city is all about?

UW has a great student Union, right on Lake Mendota, with plenty of patios and chillin' room (oh yeah, and an outdoor BAR). I was a bit hesitant to leave downtown because that meant going back to Steff's to say goodbye to Ivy. He seems like he'll do fine over there. I think I will really start missing him when I get back to Austin and I don't have him to keep my feet warm while I sleep.

Posted by monica at 08:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We're here in Chicago at last. I have tales and photos from Madison and beyond, but those will have to wait. Today we're going to go for a run on Lake Michigan and visit the recently completed Millennium Park. The last time we saw it, it looked like this.

Posted by monica at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following was written on July 20th, in the car...

6:00am Tim's cell phone alarm goes off. Confused, I pushes the red button to turn it off and fall promptly back asleep.
6:11am Thankfully, Ivy began his morning routine of knocking shit over off my desk. I wake up and starts the day. I say to Tim: "Come on, it's 6:11." Tim drools.
6:34am Tim and I stretch our legs and get energized with a 20 minute run.
7:01am Box up Ivy, load up the car, have a real breakfast,
8:37am Depart with a cat to Turner Residential. Gas up.
9:03am Hit I-35 North towards Oklahoma.
6:56pm Current time, writing from Miami, OK.

We've been on the road 9 hours and 53 minutes. We've memorized half the state's capitols and nicknames (did you know that Iowa is the "Hawkeye State", Georgia is the "Empire State of the South" and Kentucky is the "Bluegrass State"?). Quick test (I'm writing this from memory)...in alphabetical order:

Alabama - Montgomery, "Heart of Dixie"
Alaska - Juneau, "Great Land"
Arizona - Phoenix, "Grand Canyon State"
Arkansas - Little Rock, "Natural State" (easy to remember - it is unshaved!)
California - Sacramento, "Golden State"
Colorado - Denver, "Centennial State"
Connecticut - Hartford, "Constitution State"
Delaware - Dover, "First State"
Florida - Tallahassee, "Sunshine State"
Georgia - Atlanta, "Empire State of the South"
Idaho - Boise, "Gem State"
Illinois - Springfield, "Land of Lincoln"
Indiana - Indianapolis, "Hoosier State"
Iowa - Des Moines, "Hawkeye State"
Kansas - Topeka, "Sunflower State"
Kentucky - Frankfort, "Bluegrass State"
Louisiana - Baton Rouge, "Pelican State"
Maine - OUCH time for review!!!
Maryland - Annapolis, "ergh ow
Missouri - oh dear

We've driven through Waco (no sign of Branch Dividions), Fort Worth, over the Brazos river and through to Oklahoma City and Tulsa (unfortunately no time to see the National Memorial Museum). We saw oil wells. And many many cows. It seems that turnpikes are also toll roads. And I make delicious sandwiches.

Just crossed over the Missouri state line. That was a long trek. Missouri's I-44 has mile markers every .2 miles - that's insane! That makes 2,890 markers between Joplin and St. Lewis, it's east and west border cities. Porn for the sign companies!!!!

We're hoping to make it to Springfield, MO before we call it a very long day of driving. I'm looking forward to getting to Madison tomorrow evening and hanging out with my sister. I am not looking forward to saying goodbye to Ivy.

Posted by monica at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Destination: Madison, WI

Today's Goal: Jacksonville, MO

Only 14 hours away...

Posted by monica at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I turned 25 years old yesterday. Why oh why couldn't I stay 24? Hell, I still feel like I'm 22. I don't like leaving my early-twenties. I don't feel ready, or dare I say mature enough for this huge step.

I know: It's just another day, another year, another birthday. Can't fight it (like city hall). But I don't think this is the year I'm going to bitch about getting older. Truth is, the future is completely uncertain, and that is truly exciting. Here's to my mid-twenties - may they bring great entrepreneurial riches and an unparalleled view of the world!

My birthday was pretty damn good. I started it off early with a run by town lake, followed by some austin bullshit on South Congress. I think I'm putting a moratorium on SoCo; my neck of the woods is far cooler and less congested. Oh, and Spider House has this sign making fun of Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato, when Spider House's own macchiato sucks ass. JP's is the only place in Austin to have a macchiato: TRUTH.

Thanks to Tim for the Shure E2c Sound Isolating Headphones. The iPod has suddenly sprung to new life.

Turns out: I'm a bowler. I scored a 132 at Highland Lanes, beating Tim, Mary, and Mike in our second game.

I am a bowler!

Tim took me to a lovely dinner at Z. Tejas on West 6th - it rules, check it out. And make sure you get a seat outside. The wait is worth the superior ambiance.

Tomorrow I'm headed out on my midwest road trip... here's a recap on my itinerary:

July 20: Leave Austin, TX for Madison, WI (with Ivy)
July 22: Arrive in Madison, drop of cat, hang out with sis
July 23: Run along Lake Mendota; Depart Madison for Chicago, IL
July 22 - 25: Arrive in Chicago, visit with family and friends, run on Lake Shore Drive
July 25: Depart Chicago for Champaign, IL
July 25 - 26: Arrive in Champaign, visit with friends, get in the zone at Esquire
July 26: Depart Champaign, IL for Columbus, OH
July 26 - 27: Arrive in Columbus, visit with family
July 27: Head back to Austin

Posted by monica at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I won't miss the Texas summers, that's for damn sure. There are people who enjoy sitting in the sun, but I'm not one of them. Hot sunny days like today I prefer to spend in air conditioned bliss with the final Firefly DVD. What an amazing show. Shame on FOX for canceling this rare gem, only 14 episodes into its short but substantial life. Created by Joss Whedon of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Fame, Firefly is about a group of vagabond space cowboys who fly around on a Firefly-class ship called Serenity pulling odd jobs of varying degrees of legality.

Every last damn character on that crazy spaceship charmed my socks off. The good news is that there's a movie in the works called Serenity, and plenty of fun on the web:

Serrenity movie blog

Captain Tight Pants: a fansite devoted to the delicious Nathan Fillion

Firefly Fan Site: i'll never understand fan fiction.

Speaking of movies, I saw I, Robot tonight. Like most Hollywood action flicks, it held my attention enough and I even laughed out loud once or twice. The plot wasn't terribly complex and I suspect that Isaac Asimov's book had more in-depth ideas on artificial intelligence. The movie did feature Firefly's Alan Tudyk as the voice of Sonny, the first robot to go awry!! I think I preferred him as the "pirate" in Dodgeball.

Posted by monica at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeah, I'm a dork: I like They Might Be Giants. I also like the crew over at Strongbadia... looks like Strong Sad teamed up with TMBG to create the video for their single, "Experimental Film", off their new album, The Spine.

Rock and roll ATM!!

My favorite TMBG songs? At the moment, I'm feeling "She's an Angel"...

When you're following an angel
Does it mean you have to throw your body off a building?

and "Birdhouse In Your Soul"... But I also dig their cover of "New York City", and of course, "Pet Name".

You just forgot your one pet name for me
And all those promises you said you'd keep
And it's a lucky thing
Because that sentimental stuff
Doesn't suit you
At all

Posted by monica at 11:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sing-A-Long Purple Rain

Prince’s Purple Rain is getting the showing worthy of his genius, sluttiness, and erosion-proof fan base: The inimitable Peaches Christ is hosting it at the Bridge Theater complete with projected lyrics, so posers and the lyrically-challenged such as I can sing right along with the Purple One.

AND Peaches is hosting an “80s Slut Pageant” sometime during this very magical night! Contestants get their own bag full of "slut gear" (whatever that means.)

(thanks BoingBoing)

Posted by monica at 06:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

so i've officially started eating fish. and almost as soon as it began i found myself at Kenichi, doing sake bombs and eating eel rolls with tim and his colleagues. Kenichi is a great restaurant, by the way. it's a place were a group of friends can hang out for hours and never once be rushed - that's how a meal should be. of course, plan on a very large bill if that's the case and you intend on drinking much wine and sake. it's worth it though. especially when there's this guy, Eric, at your table who by day has an important job but by night drinks like a fish and talks like Eminem, all the while wearing an AMD baseball cap tilted off to one side. loud guys with big forearms and an insatiable want for women are usually terribly annoying, but Eric pulled it off with style and ended up being hugely funny. everyone there was a great deal of fun, even though i had never hung out with them before. maybe life in the real world won't be as boring as i thought? i too often forget: people in the real world have money and can afford to spend an evening at places like expensive Japanese restaurants!

this afternoon, tim and i walked off our hangover at the Barton Creek Greenbelt. who know there was such a huge array of hiking trails in Austin?! Tim and I usually stick to Town Lake, but I convinced him to try something new... the Barton Creek hike trail is a little rough, but well shaded and scenic. I was a little surprised when, in the middle of our walk, the creek suddenly sprung to life: hidden away in the woods is a swimming hole that appears to be a popular hangover for the young kids lookin' to chill, tan, drink and smoke. there were maybe 100 people just lounging around in and around this small portion of Barton Creek. it was kind of neat. like a hidden oasis! but not an oasis because young people who drink and get high also pee everywhere. ick... next time I'd like to check out the portion of the Greenbelt on the west side of Mo-Pac. Here's a link to a rough map of the area.

Posted by monica at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

i've still got gmail invites. and i still get e-mails from people asking for one. nothing in this world is free anymore. all i ask for is a simple expression of your creativity. this is a prime opportunity for you to express your individuality, be it in an original poem, drawing, or photograph! let the creative juices flow! e-mail your self-expressions to monica.shaw at gmail.com !!

Posted by monica at 08:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time is running short ... less than two months before England! That means I have to get rid of most of my stuff.

Here is a link to my for sale blog, which will be updated as I take more photos and find more things to sell.

And once again, check out the stuff I'm selling on Amazon! Isn't it about time you re-watched Hackers, or curled up with The Philosophy of Physics, or damned the man with Culture Jam?

Posted by monica at 07:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Server issues kept spacekadet.org down all weekend. Looks like we're back in business, just in time for a busy week.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I had an unusually prototypical Fourth of July. Tim and I had a wonderfully quaint bbq with Dave and Rachel. I made my first veggie-kabobs. They were delicious, thanks to some garlic-balsamic 10-minute marinade I bought at Central Market. Turns out, beets are great on the grill (when wrapped in foil and accented with butter). We then headed down Lamar and parked just north of the river to watch the Austin fireworks. They were pretty good. I had a Corona!

Earlier that day, much earlier, I lied to Tim in order to get him out of bed at 7:30am to go to town lake for a run. It's amazing how many people are up at that hour on the weekend. It's also very inspiring. We ran for a glorious 42 minutes in the cool morning air. It is good to beat the heat, even if a fib is required.

Saw Dodgeball this afternoon. It's a fun movie. I can't wait to see Spiderman 2, though.

Made plans for a midwest road trip:

July 20: Leave Austin, TX for Madison, WI (with Ivy)
July 22: Arrive in Madison, drop of cat, hang out with sis
July 23: Depart Madison for Chicago, IL
July 22 - 25: Arrive in Chicago, visit with family and friends, run/rollerblade on Lake Shore Drive
July 25: Depart Chicago for Champaign, IL
July 25 - 26: Arrive in Champaign, visit with friends, get in the zone at Esquire
July 26: Depart Champaign, IL for Columbus, OH
July 26 - 27: Arrive in Columbus, visit with family
July 27: Head back to Austin

Get in touch if you'd like to hang out.

Posted by monica at 12:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This is a special note to my future self... my future athletic self. When I become superwoman, I am going to reward myself with Italian food. In particular, garlic bread.

It's an Italian afternoon on KLRU (a fine way to pass the afternoon when Tim has a hangover, I've just made Strawberry-Banana Hippie Muffins, and there is just enough Dilmah tea left to make a few mugs of tea).

At the moment, we're watching Michael Chiarello's Napa, and his Roasted Garlic-Rosemary Bread is worth remembering for a happy day in the near future when I've earned it. Here is a link to the recipe. This show is a drool fest - so much butter!! But I'm living inside the box, aren't I...

Truth is, I'm a sucker for garlic bread. Back in the days before I knew what a carbohydrate was, I used to eat garlic bread by the french loaf. Sometime's it'd be plain ol' garlic and butter, other times I'd add tomato, sometimes cheese. Check this out: the garlic bread sandwich! I'd take two slabs of garlic bread, top it with spinach, tomato and mozzarella, then put it in the broiler for a couple minutes. When the cheese was melted and a little browned, I'd stick the bread back together and go to town. Delicious!!

As much as I think whole grains are the shit, no hippie muffin or slice of whole meal bread compares to a good french loaf. Especially when paired with loads of butter, and a wine-loving Italian gentleman.

Ciao!!

Posted by monica at 04:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)